By Joana of Citizen Schools
Are you familiar with DACA or DAPA? Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, established by the Obama administration in June 2012, represents an American immigration policy commonly known as DACA. Another initiative, sometimes referred to as Deferred Action for Parental Accountability or Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents, is a planned American immigration policy intended to grant deferred action status to certain undocumented immigrants. While these programs create pathways for immigrants—including employment opportunities—they come with significant limitations. The protections DACA and DAPA offer to undocumented immigrants fall short because their rights remain vulnerable and beneficiaries face uncertainty about achieving citizenship. Conversely, Republicans argue that such programs provide excessive support, with too many resources directed toward immigrants.
A primary concern involves the fragility of rights granted through DACA and DAPA. Trump’s approach threatens to harm immigrant communities negatively, as “…striking Obama’s executive action on immigration are among his top priorities according to Trump’s 10-point plan to put America first,” (Chicago Sun-Times) indicates. This reality means that without warning, these programs could be terminated, upending countless immigrant lives. The American Immigration council notes that “As of December 31, 2015, over 700,000 young people have received DACA, broadening their educational opportunities,”, demonstrating how vulnerable this population remains. Despite widespread stereotyping of Hispanic individuals—whether documented or undocumented—many citizens dismiss immigrant perspectives, attributing this dismissal to prejudicial assumptions about their knowledge or legal status.
Stereotypes pervade public discourse about undocumented immigrants, with many citizens viewing them as criminals or characterizing all immigrants as lazy or unable to maintain suitable homes. The Pew Research Center reports that “About eight-in-ten (79%) say immigrants are a burden because they take jobs, housing and health care, while only 14% believe immigrants strengthen the U.S. because of their hard work and talents,” (The Political Typology). Although DACA and DAPA grant immigrants substantial rights, many believe these opportunities remain underutilized. Citizens resist program expansion based on this perception of ineffective implementation. The assumption that immigrants lack adequate work ethic connects directly to this point: when citizens observe what they perceive as immigrant inaction, they reinforce negative assumptions. U.S. citizens fund these immigrant support programs. Some immigrants leverage these resources—including work permits requiring renewal every two years and deportation protection—responsibly, while others do not. This disparity fuels citizen concerns that immigrants receive more advantages than native-born Americans. CNN reported that “lawful presence” would require the state to provide them with “state-subsidized driver’s licenses” and unemployment insurance,” noting that “Texas, the only state whose standing was explicitly recognized by the court, specifically argued that the immigrants’. This observation highlights political opposition to what some perceive as immigrant abuse of benefits such as driver’s licenses.
Another critical shortcoming involves the absence of health insurance coverage within DACA and DAPA frameworks—a gap with serious consequences. The National Immigration Law Center indicates that “As noted above, DACA and DAPA grantees are not eligible for Medicaid or CHIP, except for emergency Medicaid services,” (MILC). This omission creates substantial hardship for immigrant communities; individuals deserve access to medical professionals to diagnose and address health concerns. Preventive care and treatment for non-emergency conditions like influenza should be available to everyone regardless of status. While emergency situations may receive assistance, immigrants lack basic options for physical examinations and management of routine illnesses.
Some U.S. citizens present a contrasting viewpoint, contending that DACA and DAPA extend too much assistance to undocumented populations. These individuals worry that allocating resources to immigrants diminishes funding for citizen-focused initiatives. “It’s an illegal program. The president, simply, has no authority to grant benefits to millions of people.” said Mark Krikorian, Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies. According to this perspective, citizens who have invested years in the country or were born here deserve priority; their tax contributions should fund domestic programs rather than support undocumented workers.
In summary, DACA and DAPA represent efforts to improve prospects for undocumented students and parents. Their inadequacies stem from missing health insurance provisions, pervasive citizen stereotyping of immigrants as criminals, and the precarious nature of immigrant rights under these policies. That immigrants’ rights are not secure under these laws., and that immigrants’ rights are not secure under these laws. But some other people that disagree with DACA and DAPA because they do too much to protect the undocumented ones. Many lives are in danger with this one decision.
SO WHAT? WHY DO WE CARE?
While DACA and DAPA provide immigrants with critical advantages and opportunity, the programs now face termination threats in current circumstances. DACA and DAPA can disappear any day now because of the decisions of our government, according to the Immigrant Legal Resource Center. Immigrants in this country depend on DACA and DAPA and feel miserable because the people who depend on this law feel powerless. If they take away DACA, then there might not be as many immigrants in the United States as there were before. This information worries a lot of families, including my friends’ families because they started a life in the United States and all of sudden it will be taken away like a mother snatching a lollipop from a kid who’s not allowed to have sugar. The potential removal of DACA is devastating because a lot of families are in danger of being separated. I have friends who are immigrants, people I work with who are immigrants, and parents who are immigrants. We all grew up in Chelsea, a place that we struggle in and a town that we call home. Many families within immigrant communities feel powerless and distressed by this uncertainty, particularly those who have built lives here.
I grew up in a small urban city called Chelsea in Massachusetts. Chelsea is a city of immigrants trying to make a great life with what they have. It is the city “with the highest percentage of immigrants in the state. [Where] many residents hail from El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico.” (Boston Globe, 2016). Better housing, job prospects, and improved living conditions result from DACA and DAPA support, enabling these immigrant communities to achieve more stable lives than they experienced before arriving in the United States. Access to superior utilities, potable water, and improved healthcare services—though health insurance remains unavailable—benefits these families. Immigrant parents envision better futures for their children, aspiring to provide educational opportunities beyond secondary school. College attendance and professional aspirations—whether becoming surgeons, lawyers, or other accomplished professionals—represent the dreams these children pursue. Individuals from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and other nations seek to overcome the hardships they faced previously and achieve financial security in America.