How DACA Can Change The Lives of Many and the Need for Dream Act Legislation

At the age of 9, Ruth came to the United States. Because of her legal status in this country, she always lived in fear of being separated from her family since she arrived. When she made the U.S her home, she was young and did not understand all the legal challenges she would face later. Ruth says she was constantly forced to live in the shadows. She knew she couldn’t do or enjoy the same activities she did from a young age, including simple things like traveling with her family on the road. Ruth's situation became worse as an adult.

With her dream of going to college and becoming a prominent lawyer or working for law enforcement, she was unable to continue. In fact, without being asked for identification, she couldn't even get a simple job or drive, or take her children to an emergency room.

When DACA was introduced by former President Obama, Ruth says her life changed completely. Ruth was finally able to get out of the shadows and get her dream job because of DACA. She was able to get a driver's license, buy a house, and take her eldest son on a road trip to visit schools with DACA. Ruth says that if it wasn't for DACA, she wouldn't have been able to achieve most of the achievements she has now. “On September 5, the Administration announced the DACA program will be terminated in the next six months. The future is uncertain for hundreds of thousands of people like Ruth who came to the United States as a child.” Obama’s immigration policy has helped lift the U.S economy, these young immigrants are blameless, and 86 percent of Americans believe that Donald Trump is wrong for canceling the Dream Act.

DACA is the Childhood Arrivals Deferred Action program. 780,000 young people have received protection from the DACA program. DACA does not provide legal status or government benefits but provides temporary employment authorizations for recipients. According to Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, “President Obama issued an executive order in June 2012 aimed to provide relief to young undocumented immigrants.”

While the executive order of Obama did not create a path to citizenship, the directive stated that the U.S. government would no longer deport undocumented immigrants under the age of thirty who arrived in the U.S. before the age of sixteen, have resided in the country for at least five years, pose no security threat, have not been convicted of a felony or more than three misdemeanors, and have met requirements regarding education or military service. The order created a new immigration policy and program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).