“What makes someone American isn’t just blood or birth but allegiance to our founding principles and faith in the idea that anyone-from anywhere- can write the next chapter of our story.”- Barack Obama. What Obama is saying that if you grew up in America and followed all the rules like pay taxes then why wouldn’t you be considered an American. Many people who come to America like the system, rule of law, and being able to plan a future. Does being an American depend on your country origin, skin color, or religion?
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals is an administrative reliefs from deportation for the children who came to the United States illegally by their parents. The policy was announced on June 15,2012 by Barack Obama. On August 15,2012 the U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services began accepting applications.
The requirements for DACA is that you must not have a felony or serious misdemeanors on your record. You had to be under 31 years old in the year 2012 and you had to come to the United States before your 16th birthday. You had to live in the United States continuously from June 15,2007 until present day. You must be currently in school, graduated, or a certificate of completions from high school. You also need many personal records such as Financial, Medical, School, Employment, and ect.
What you get from DACA is not citizenship but being able to stay in America without being deported. You can get a SSN to be able to get a work permit or go to college. You can receive Financial aid such as FAFSA. You are eligible to fly to different countries such as Australia, Hampshire, and ect. without any issues returning back to the United States. You’re allowed to buy health insurance but places like Planned Parenthood offer care regardless of immigration status. You can try to get US citizenship through marriage but there is requirements. Also just because you got married to a US citizen it doesn’t guarantee you safety.
Some negative effects that some people may say about DACA is that the children violated the law, whether knowingly or not. That the value of citizenship decreases for those who completed all the legal paperwork to become a US citizen. Another con would be that it decreases job opportunities for the citizens who has always been legal in this area. DACA would also increase benefit requirements for education, child welfare, and healthcare. Also DACA can be seen to encourage more illegal border crossings. The people are also worried that the borders being open can cause potential security risk and it would allow terrorist to enter the US which can be a constant threat. Lastly individuals think that it can change political structure of the US and that Latinos are going to vote for the party that has more concern for them. It’s proven that 50% of Latino voters feel that the Democratic party cares more for them and that it’s a good chance that about a million voters could be generated for Democrats.
A few positive effects that DACA provides; possible path to citizenship. Many recipients have spent almost their entire lives in the US and this is the only country they know. It would allow the children to stay in the country instead of being forced to return to a country they don’t even remember. The military supports the DACA act because over 1,000 individuals are currently serving in the US military and it eliminates the threat of making the soldiers leave the country they faithfully serve. DACA would eliminate the need to pay “under the counter” to the people who are illegal. DACA has a safe alternative that allows the people to pay taxes and establish an economic nexus. DACA would also allow law enforcement to focus on bigger problems such as global warming, poverty, equality, protecting nature, better job opportunities, and good education. Law enforcement can stop wasting their funding on resources to these 800,00 people for deportation. DACA also adds diversity in the workplace, also diversity can provide fresh ideas, global impact from local resources, and improves morale. It can bring variety that could innovate processes and improve revenues. It would also stop the decline of immigration in the workplace. 41% of physical science PhDs are awarded to immigrants and there are so many well known immigrants who helped shape American such as Albert Einstein who is from Germany, Joseph Pulitzer who is from Hungary, Madeleine Albright who is from Czechoslovakia and became the first women to be the US Secretary of State. Lastly, it would be a revenue generator because 800,000 people who are under DACA have to each pay a $2,000 fine to resolve their illegal status, which is $1,600,000,000 alone.
In conclusion, DACA has pros and cons like everything in the world and it’s your choice to view it the way you want. DACA isn’t easy to apply for and doesn’t give you citizenship if you have it. DACA provides so many helpful positions which allow children to live the American dream. Many children were brought to the US by their parents and weren’t able to have a say on where they wanted to live. Many DACA children will have to go back to their birthplace because Trump is discontinuing the act and the children who will have to go back to their country might not have family to go back to or even a place to live. Many DACA recipients aren’t able to leave the country because they won’t be allowed to reenter the US again. Should a child be punished for being brought to the US unknowingly. Is being considered an American based on where you were born and not on where you were raised? Should DACA be discontinued? An inspiring quote that everyone should think about, “Barack knows the American Dream because he lived it- and he wants everyone in this country to have that same opportunity, no matter who we are, or where we’re from, or what we look like, or who we love.” -Michelle Obama.
