Hope Deferred for 800,000 Dreamers

On September 5, 2017, President Trump announced that he would end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which offers a two-year deferral of deportation for eligible immigrants. President Obama launched the program with an executive order in 2012. President Trump has given the United States Congress the next six months to come up with a more effective long term solution for the fate of some 800,000 “Dreamers”.

For those currently receiving DACA this news brings about a great deal of uncertainty and fear of the future. All new applications under DACA will no longer be accepted. For those currently in the program, their legal status and other DACA-related permits (such as to work and attend college) will begin expiring in March 2018 – unless Congress passes new legislation.

The U.S. economy could risk losing an estimated $215 billion in losses without the working “Dreamers” Immigration has major effects all around. It hurts those in low-skilled jobs oftentimes filled by immigrants for lower pay. Immigrants lower the price of goods and services due to low-cost labor that allows companies to reduce prices of consumer goods.

President Trump has promised to build a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico. Even if this wall is built it still does not create an effective solution to the millions of undocumented immigrants residing in the US where the place they call home they are considered an “illegal alien” There has been overwhelming support for the DACA recipients from immigration advocates, Democratic politicians, as well as members of the Republican Party. Only time can tell what will become of these hopeful Dreamers.