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#DACA was created 8 years ago. I have been studying it since its inception. After a national survey (N=2,684) & 3 waves of interviews w/ 408 DACA holders I conclude that it has been the most successful immigration policy in recent decades. Here's why 1/ https://immigrationinitiative.harvard.edu/files/hii/files/final_daca_report.pdf
Within a year, DACA beneficiaries were already taking giant steps. They found new jobs. They increased their earnings. They acquired driver's licenses. And they began to build credit through opening bank accounts and obtaining credit cards. 2/ https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/31732677/How_DACA_is_Impacting_the_Lives_of_Those_Who_Are_Now_DACAmented.pdf?1376649855=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DRoberto_G._Gonzales_and_Veronica_Terriqu.pdf&Expires=1592236548&Signature=SALi8HQS7wCows0DNcoiicE4cNjs2AllMp6Jv1tcWmMKpWkfX3-SvpdZi9VdtADtCm~Tnevt4t0LJMVZTvE-AkwS5oE1M-FfAJn5Q2wVR6d6ZT0uOxfYTXAckbRgZckpOcPIgSuOPDafPToaneEhLiL3CE2sUR6GOQcFtMglHOPCq~feZjyDBd8~709W-jdvJz0JmmLvYpRdkO89v1~r50huJl3Lfea0r66-tZco4WLJGsLaT6wnqnM6QnQ6LY7N1PrWNJRwOmrQ8I772cTyZBISCpTBQshrGOiGZB7KX4v72iB8Oc0tKnN32kEouMDkuW6TgBFGsFn26FJPjX6eeg__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA
Community connections formed prior to DACA provided many a great boost. Community organizations, for example, assisted young people in filling out their applications & helped them make the most of their DACA benefits. 3/ https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/two-years-and-counting-assessing-growing-power-daca
In addition, tuition equity bills allowed them to hit the ground running. Those who attended 2 and 4-year colleges were more likely to obtain new jobs & increase earnings. While those with 4-yr degrees made marked gains in employment & earnings. 4/ https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/two-years-and-counting-assessing-growing-power-daca
Even w/ better jobs, not all DACA holders were able to afford tuition at 4-year colleges. However, many found job-training programs at community colleges & local organizations. These shorter-term programs served as stepping stones to 4-year programs. 5/
https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/sites/default/files/research/daca_at_year_three.pdf
https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/sites/default/files/research/daca_at_year_three.pdf
Those receiving DACA while still in high school were able to hit important milestones on time. They described an immediate change in their motivation. Attending college and working in their dream fields had become a real option for them. 6/ https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/sites/default/files/research/daca_at_year_three.pdf
Those who received DACA while in college realized a dream. They would be able to pursue jobs in their desired fields after graduation. These opportunities resulted in a renewed hope, more concrete goals, and better performance at school and at work. 7/ https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/sites/default/files/research/daca_at_year_three.pdf
While much of the public's attention has focused on high achievers, DACA holders with modest levels of education made huge gains. They found onramps back to education & training, enrolling in programs in medicine, dentistry, construction, teaching & law 8/ https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/reports/2017/06/22/434822/taking-giant-leaps-forward/
DACA beneficiaries who completed certificate or licensing programs experienced increased earnings. Hourly salaries increased from $5 to more than $14/hr. Most at least doubled their previous salaries, earning between $25,000 and $30,000 per year. 9/ https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/reports/2017/06/22/434822/taking-giant-leaps-forward/
DACA also had pronounced effects on health & well-being. It has renewed recipients’ hopes & motivation for their futures, given them a greater sense of belonging as valued & contributing members of society, & it has lessened their fears of deportation 10/ https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/analysis-daca-boosts-young-immigrants-well-being-mental-health-n772431
DACA also expanded more personal and intimate spaces and spaces of belonging, helping DACA holderrs derive meaning, agency, and membership in their everyday lives. 11/ https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01419870.2019.1667506
Taken together these educational, material, & psychological benefits over the last 8 years have improved DACA beneficiaries’ quality of life and bolstered their abilities to support their families & strengthen their communities. 12/ https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/12/daca-has-changed-lives-supreme-court-deferred-action-childhood-arrivals
DACA has been inarguably the most successful policy of immigrant integration in more than three decades. Ending it would have devastating consequences for hundreds of thousands of Americans, driving these young people into a protracted state of limbo end/ https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520287266/lives-in-limbo
