In June 2022, we marked the ten-year anniversary of DACA.
What is DACA?
DACA stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. It was created in 2012 via Executive Action. The policy provides temporary protection for qualified undocumented individuals brought into the U.S. as children. It temporarily shields them from deportation. Renewable every two years, DACA allows “Dreamers” to legally drive, go to college, and work. For those who received DACA when it started in 2012, they are renewing it for the fifth time.
DACA was never meant to be a permanent solution, but a decade later Dreamers still have no path to citizenship and live in limbo. DACA doesn’t provide a path to legal status, such as a green card or citizenship.
Yet there are restrictions and hurdles for Dreamers. Did you know DACA recipients cannot travel outside the U.S. without special permission? This is just one of the restrictions Dreamers face. After a decade, the fate of Dreamers remains uncertain. Over 100,000 undocumented high school graduates this year will not qualify for the program that would allow them to continue their education or enter the workforce.
Last year many Women of Welcome signed a letter with over 2,000 other evangelical Christians urging Congress to find a solution for Dreamers. “Reforms to our federal immigration laws are long overdue, and we see the negative impacts of a broken immigration system on the immigrant families within our congregations and our communities,” the letter said. We need a permanent solution for Dreamers!
What can you do?
Our friends at Evangelical Immigration Table have written a letter to Congress asking for action. Will you add your name and stand with Dreamers?
Let’s have the conversation you’ve always wanted to have about immigration.