DACA Argumentative Essay

At the start of September, Donald Trump terminated a program and in turn put fear into the hearts of nearly 800,000 people and their friends and family. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, was a program that was made to replace the DREAM Act (a policy that was not approved by Congress which would have created a path towards citizenship for “illegal” immigrants that came to the United States as children). DACA was put into effect in 2012 by former President Barack Obama through an executive order. This policy protects immigrants who, as children, were either illegally brought to the United States or were brought legally but then stayed past their visas’ expiration dates. DACA provides this specific group of immigrants with protection from deportation, a social security number, and a work permit; however, it is not a way of gaining legal status. Not only are the qualifications for eligibility specific and limiting, but the application process itself is expensive, extensive, long, and it has to be done every two years.

For five years, DACA was providing relief for many young immigrants across the nation.

They could work, study while paying in-state tuition, and not be burdened with thoughts of potential deportation. Now, however, the one thing that was keeping the young immigrants safe has been terminated. Not only will hundreds of thousands of immigrants no longer be able to work or maybe even go to school once their last DACA renewal expires, but the government now has all the information (names, pictures, home addresses, and even biometrics) they need to deport nearly 800,000 immigrants. So, countless amounts of immigrants are now in more danger of deportation than they were before DACA even existed. Thousands of people who have lived in the United States for a majority of their lives and have no recollection, connections, or, in some cases, even family in their home countries, might now be forced to return to a country that they do not even

know.
    There are various misconceptions and misinformation regarding DACA, “illegal” immigration, and the path to citizenship. While many Americans believe that gaining citizenship is a simple task, especially if one has been in the country for numerous years, it is a near impossible endeavor even for those who have been here since the young age of one year. Realistically, the only way “illegal” immigrants can gain citizenship is through marriage of a U.S. citizen or being a victim of a violent crime; yet, even those possibilities (one being a scary and unfortunate possibility) are often difficult and endless processes. When former President Barack Obama passed this policy, he was trying to give young immigrants hope and opportunity. Now, that has been ripped away from them, but their hope is not lost. Immigrants continue to fight this battle and protest for their rights to stay in this country, one that has been their home for a decade or more. For these next six months or so, Congress will be debating on what to do about DACA: whether to put it back into action, completely obliterate it, or change it to a new policy. The fates of hundreds of thousands of immigrants lies in the hands of 535 members; hopefully, the right choice is made.