Trump’s persistence to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) has been brought to the Supreme Court. It was only due to an error in documentation by President Trump that immigrants were given a chance to keep working towards the American Dream.
Nearly 700,000 immigrants who were brought by their parents as children to the United States are recipients of DACA. President Trump intends to dismantle the program leaving thousands of dreamers undocumented. These immigrants are allowed to work and live in the United States, they are even allowed to receive benefits from the Social Security and Medicare programs, although the majority of DACA recipients are too young to be collecting any of these benefits.
President Trump’s administration filed a lawsuit to end DACA, but it did not provide the correct paperwork on why the program should be abolished. The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 towards DACA however, this does not mean that President Trump will not try again. President Trump’s administration claimed on their lawsuit that they wanted to end DACA because they believed the program was illegal. They also followed an appeal by former President Obama who wanted to extend DACA to those immigrants who arrived in the United States and are unauthorized to work but are caregivers for children born in the U.S. This appeal was struck down by the United States Court of Appeal for the Fifth Circuit. The Supreme Court ruled a tied in 2016, allowing the Fifth Circuit’s decision to stand. This decision was very limited on its benefits, which are similar to those that DACA recipients receive. The Fifth Circuit’s decision emphasized that the federal government has no authority to deport any participant in the program. In order for President Trump to continue his siege of the DACA program, he will need to provide a proper explanation as to why DACA should end and continue deporting beneficiaries.
DACA recipients are allowed to purchase a home, enroll in college, and start a business. Deporting nearly 700,000 members will take a toll on the economy. Each year states and local governments could lose up to $1.25 billion in tax revenue per year if the DACA recipients were deported. The anticipated loss of revenue would be more strongly felt at the national level as the federal tax revenue would drop by $60 billion over the next ten years. Needless to say, DACA recipients are necessary contributors to the impressive economy currently boasted by the United States.