Young immigrants known as “Dreamers” and DACA

“Dreamers” are young immigrants who came to the US without legal documentation when they were minors. Many of them have resided in the country without documentation, some of them chose to apply for study permits and are now part of the local workforce.

Since Dreamers crossed borders as children, most of them do not remember their countries and could face imminent risk if they return to those vulnerable environments. Therefore, the US government has taken them into account for several immigration proposals.

For instance, in 2012, the Barack Obama administration implemented an immigration program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, with the intention of protecting Dreamers from deportation. Obama stated that DACA recipients would be essential workers for the local market and need legal alternatives to boost the economy and contribute to the socioeconomic development of American or US-based companies.

DACA offers protection from deportation for two years, with the possibility of extension. Adding to that, DACA recipients can apply for a legal work permit, study, and other social benefits that would not be available to them without legal documentation.

The Trump administration does not support DACA

After the Obama administration, President Donald Trump took office and has led the US administration for the past four years. Unlike Obama, President Trump states that undocumented immigrants, regardless of whether they are minors or not, should face deportation without receiving immigration benefits as they violated local law by crossing the country’s borders without prior authorization.

Thus, the Trump administration has tried to remove DACA from programs offered to immigrants in the US. The DACA case even reached the Supreme Court of Justice, several lower courts and the legal battle seems endless.

You may also be interested in: Uncertainty Among DACA Recipients

However, the US presidential election took place at the beginning of November, 2020, and the American population, despite President Trump seeking re-election, elected the Democratic candidate Joe Biden, along with Vice President Kamala Harris.

The president-elect and his cabinet have a more welcoming view on immigration than Trump, promised to end the legal battle against DACA and offer more benefits to Dreamers, arguing that they are an essential part of the US economy and to overcome the current crisis.

Texas Dreamers call for benefits beyond DACA

Dreamers celebrated the fact that the USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services) approved 171 DACA applications after more than three years of legal battle.

However, the program remains on the tightrope and, in their opinion, it could be removed at any time, not only by the Trump administration, but by any other administration that does not agree with this immigration benefit.

Thus, dozens of DACA recipients, activists, and immigrant rights advocates are calling on the incoming government (Biden-Harris) to offer legal alternatives for Dreamers beyond DACA.

For instance, in Texas, several activist groups appreciate the protection that DACA offers, but argue that it is a temporary and unstable program that does not offer a permanent benefit to young immigrants, who are also essential workers.

Adding to that, they state that DACA protects only a portion of Dreamers, but many of them do not meet the mandatory requirements and are currently in limbo. In fact, one of the activists involved states: “This isn’t just about DACA; we know that some ‘Dreamers’ never qualified for DACA (…) It’s going to be up to Biden and Congress to take action and pass clean legislation to permanently protect ‘Dreamers’ and their families from deportation without family separation or needless militarization.”

The solution they propose is a comprehensive immigration reform to restructure the current immigration system and implement fixed and permanent benefits for the most vulnerable immigrant communities, including DACA recipients.

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