Alternative Fact of the Week

No, ending DACA does not prevent human suffering

rization Act, which set out special procedures for unaccompanied minors from non-contiguous countries who were apprehended at the border. Whereas such children from Canada and Mexico would immediately be sent back, those from other countries — like those in Central America — would be put under the care of the Department of Health and Human Services for placement with relatives or in other homes while they waited for a date in immigration court. Since many of the children intended to apply for asylum (which is altogether different from DACA), they and their families may well have believed they had a good chance of staying permanently.

Politifact crunched the numbers and found that while apprehensions at the Mexican border rose from fiscal 2012 to fiscal 2013, both overall and for people from countries other than Mexico, the increase was in line with a trend that began before President Obama announced DACA, which was enough for the site to deem Mr. Sessions’ claim “mostly false.”

We would note additionally, however, that whatever the dubious merits of Mr. Sessions’ claim about what prompted the Central American influx of 2013-2014, it is entirely irrelevant to the question of whether DACAshould remain on the books now. Border apprehensions have dropped since then, and the “humanitarian crisis” of unaccompanied minors showing up in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California has long since passed. Even if DACA helped in in some way to foster an influx then, it isn’t anymore.

The real facts here are that President Trump ginned up his base during the campaign by pledging to “immediately terminate President Obama’s two illegal executive amnesties” but later expressed sympathy for the “absolutely incredible kids.” On Tuesday morning, he tweeted “Congress, get ready to do your job — DACA” and then “Make no mistake, we are going to put the interest of AMERICAN CITIZENS FIRST! The forgotten men & women will no longer be forgotten.” Then on Tuesday night, he tweeted that he would “revisit this issue” if Congress can’t “legalize DACA.” He trotted out his hard-line, anti-immigration attorney general to kill DACA, but not without trying to put a smiley-face on his cruelty. It doesn’t wash. DACA didn’t prompt a humanitarian crisis. It prevented one.