OUR VIEW: Dream in danger for 800,000
artwork by Anna Teichroeb
Giving 800,000 people a slap in the face, the presidential administration announced they would end DACA in six months.
This is really a cop out by the Trump administration which seeks only to destroy anything that Barrack Obama did regardless of how many lives are destroyed.
The Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals (DACA) gave children who were brought illegally to the United States a renewable two-year-period of deferred action from deportation and a work permit.
This program, established in 2012 by the Obama administration, is one of the greatest successes of our country in modern days. If eligible, these children, called Dreamers (unauthorized immigrants brought to the U.S. as children) were given the opportunity to work toward an education and/or their jobs.
These Dreamers are home owners, business owners, college graduates and tax payers. They have built homes and families for themselves in the only country they really know, a country that calls them illegal aliens. They contribute to the economy and society, and forcing them to pack their bags would not only hurt them but us as well.Of the 43 million immigrants in the U.S., about 11 million are undocumented immigrants. Of that number, an estimated 22 percent are under the age of 25.
Before DACA, it was basically impossible for these young immigrants to become legal. They were in a no man’s land because it was not their choice to come to the U.S. illegally. Obama’s program gave them hope. That hope put 800,000 productive members legally adding to our economy. The Dream Act, which would give these immigrants legal status, is coming before Congress. This act would add $22.7 million to our economy annually. Without DACA recipients, the U.S. gross domestic product stands to lose $460 billion over the next 10 years. Why would a self-proclaimed business genius like Trump turn down a deal with that much profit? The Dream Act is the right thing to do. It will contribute to America indefinitely. Sending these Dreamers back to countries they have never known would be cruel and counterproductive for the this country. We should support passing the Dream Act.
