Explaining DACA:
Five things you need to know about Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.
What is DACA?
DACA is short for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which protects certain people who were brought into the country illegally as children from being deported. Former President Barack Obama launched the program in 2012, saying he wanted to provide a reprieve for young immigrants who have established lives in the U.S., often don’t know any other home, and sometimes don’t speak a language besides English. For those who qualify, deportation is deferred two years, with a chance to renew. Recipients can legally obtain work permits.
Who is covered by DACA?
About 800,000 people nationwide, and more than 200,000 in California, have been approved for DACA protection. To qualify, applicants must have been younger than 31 on June 15, 2012, when the program started, and have come to the U.S. before they were 16, living here continuously since at least June of 2007. The majority of recipients, often called “Dreamers,” are from Mexico.
What did President Trump do?
The Trump administration, which claims that Obama’s executive order creating DACA was an unconstitutional overreach, announced Tuesday that it would wind down the program, which will take a few years. Recipients will remain protected through their current term. But new applications for DACA will no longer be accepted, and those with current protection must renew their two-year legal status by Oct. 5. Starting March 5, tens of thousands of recipients will begin to see their status expire, and could be deported.
What happens next?
By ensuring there will be no deportations of DACA recipients for six months, the Trump administration is giving Congress time to pass legislation that would determine the fate of Dreamers. Many in Congress, including Republicans who favor tighter immigration policy, such as House Speaker Paul Ryan and Arizona Sen. John McCain, have supported protection for DACA recipients, but lawmakers for years have been unable to reach consensus.
What happens to Dreamers?
If Congress doesn’t enact a policy by March 5, those who lose protection will be subject to removal. Trump said he told immigration officials that DACA recipients should not be considered priorities for deportation “unless they are criminals, are involved in criminal activity, or are members of a gang.” But since Trump took office, the government has deported people without clean records.