Dreamers contribute much to local economies
ARE DREAMERS a threat to national security or public safety? No. The answer is plain and simple. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients do not pose a threat to national security or public safety. On the contrary, they make significant contributions to the U.S. economy and society.
First of all, it is worth underscoring that according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, one of the requirements for DACA eligibility is to “have not been convicted of a felony, significant misdemeanor, or three or more other misdemeanors, and do not otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety.” This means that all DACA recipients undergo background investigations that involve checking their biographic and biometric information against a variety of databases maintained by the Department of Homeland Security and other federal governmental agencies to ensure that they do not pose any threat to the United States and its people.
Furthermore, there is sufficient evidence to state that the almost 700,000 young people who have an active DACA, as of Sept. 4, 2017, make significant contributions to the U.S. economy and society. According to the Center for American Progress, 97 percent of DACA recipients are employed or enrolled in school. This figure has increased their purchasing power, favorably impacting the U.S. economy.
New Mexico has benefited from the contributions of its almost 7,000 DACA recipients. The Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy estimates the DACA population contributes nearly $19 million in state and local taxes. Additionally, the Center for American Progress has warned N.M. would annually lose almost $400,000 in state GDP if DACA recipients were removed.
These figures speak for themselves. Nothing could be further from the truth than the depiction of Dreamers, including DACA recipients, as criminals. Dreamers are talented young people that significantly contribute to their communities and to the United States as a whole.
NORMA ANG-SANCHEZ Consul of Mexico