Washington, DC – In her latest column for the Boston Globe, Marcela García examines the popular and successful Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and why it makes a compelling case for delivering legislation that includes citizenship for DACA recipients. So why are we long overdue for such a legislative fix? As she writes, “The failure of Congress to pass federal legislation that would legalize the immigration status of hundreds of thousands of Dreamers is another reminder that polling data and statistics take a backseat when it comes to immigration policy.”
The following is a statement from Mario Carrillo, Campaigns Director of America’s Voice, who is married to a DACA recipient:
“I am proud that families like mine – despite the odds, the uncertainty and the fear – keep thriving in this country. But the DACA program that protects my family from being split up by deportation has never been the ultimate solution and, largely because of continued Republican attempts to kill the program, millions of people are barred from the opportunity that it has provided for families like mine.
Republicans are fighting against DACA in the courts and any other way they can. More than ever, we need a legislative fix that finally puts DACA-recipients on a pathway towards citizenship. Millions of others deserve a path to citizenship, as well. The American public agrees with us, and is way ahead of the dysfunctional political system in their support for citizenship for DACA recipients and other undocumented immigrants.”
Read Marcela García in the Boston Globe, “DACA has been a socioeconomic success. So why are Dreamers still in limbo?” and find key excerpts below:
“Poll after poll after poll consistently shows that roughly three-quarters of Americans, including a majority of Republicans, would like Dreamers to get permanent protections. Since 2012, more than 800,000 Dreamers have benefited from DACA.”
“But Republicans, including former president Donald Trump and a group of state attorneys general, have been trying to kill the policy since its inception via countless challenges. Those ongoing legal court cases are one of the reasons why the program is not open to new applicants.”
“This week, the Biden administration published a federal rule aimed at codifying DACA…Expected to take effect on Oct. 31, the regulation is no substitute for action that only Congress can take but has refused to do.”
“Researchers have called it (DACA) the most successful immigration program in recent decades. Data from a national study show that its recipients, by and large, had harnessed the program as a vehicle for upward social and economic mobility. The economic contributions of Dreamers are undeniable. A policy brief from New American Economy found that the DACA-eligible population made $23.4 billion in earnings in 2017, up from roughly $19.9 billion in 2015.”
“The failure of Congress to pass federal legislation that would legalize the immigration status of Dreamers is another reminder that polling data and statistics take a back seat when it comes to immigration policy. Politicians and elected officials would much rather pander to the most extreme and fringe elements of their political base.”
“For the first time in a decade, a majority of graduating high schoolers who are undocumented immigrants have none of the DACA protections… Every year that Congress doesn’t pass legislation to protect them for good, it risks squandering the social and economic progress DACA participants have achieved.
“Dreamers don’t need another temporary policy workaround; they need legal permanent status. How long must they keep dreaming of it?”
