By Raphael Romero Ruiz |Arizona Republic
On July 6, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans heard oral arguments on the legality and future of the Deferred Action or DACA policy, which protects some people who were brought into the country as children from deportation.
The hearing brought DACA back into the news after the state of Texas challenged the legality of the program and a federal judge ruled in July 2021 that the program was unlawful.
The judge’s ruling barred the federal government from accepting new applicants to the program. President Joe Biden’s administration is attempting to appeal this decision in a case that likely will end up in the Supreme Court.
Here’s what you need to know about DACA, or the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
What is DACA?
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, referred to as DACA, was created in 2012 as an executive action during President Barack Obama’s administration. This was meant to block deportations of people who had been brought over into the United States as children, but did not have legal residency or citizenship.
DACA allows participants to remain in the country, obtain work permits and get health insurance if offered by the individual’s employer.
These benefits have been advantageous to recipients pursuing higher education, getting driver’s licenses in some states and growing their respective careers. However, it does not create a pathway to citizenship.
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DACA has seen constant challenges in the decade it has existed. Court rulings from federal judges and administration changes have weakened DACA, while community organizers, businesses and activists have sought to create a permanent pathway for recipients to remain in the country.
The push for more comprehensive legislation also seeks to provide a pathway to citizenship for all undocumented immigrants.
“This article correctly points out that the fate of our nation’s Dreamers is currently in the hands of the courts, with the Supreme Court likely to (again) rule on the legality of the Obama-era executive action sometime next year.
“Arizona is home to about 25,000 Dreamers, who have been able to come out of the shadows and apply for work permits, drivers licenses, Social Security cards, and in-state education and medical benefits in many cases.
“With so much on the line for so many young people who call America home and were brought here through no fault of their own, it is imperative that our Congress pass legislation to codify and enshrine the DACA program.”
Darius Amiri, Rose Law Group Immigration Department Chair
