If you’ve been following the American news at all in the past months, you’ve come to realize that every day brings a new controversy. This summer was especially wrought with political missteps, from scrapped health-care plans to Charlottesville. Getting news notifications in the morning is not the most enjoyable way to wake up, but it’s become necessary during this presidency. Recently, Donald Trump decided to again focus on tackling immigration: this time, attacking DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Immigrants.
Before this whole debacle — Trump saying DACA was finished, rumors of a deal being made, Trump reneges on the deal, now Trump may actually make deal — I genuinely wouldn’t have been able to tell you what DACA was. That definitely comes from a place of privilege, as the last person who immigrated in my family was my grandfather from Europe. I’ve never had to worry about my citizenship based on a decision my parents felt they had to make. Though Trump made sweeping promises to deport illegal immigrants, the DACA is a huge moral quandary in fulfilling his campaign promises. How can you hold a child responsible for a decision they didn’t make?
Around 800,000 people — known as “Dreamers” — are now covered by DACA, a program that has been implemented since the second term of Obama’s presidency. They lead normal lives — they attend schools, they get their drivers’ licenses, they build a life — the only difference is their parents were unable to get the proper paperwork. Though ardent supporters of curbing illegal immigrants may be pleased by this act, the hard reality of deporting minors has caused many Republicans and Trump supporters to stop and think. To deport young children back to a country they may not even know may prove to be a difficult and unpopular action.
To me, this political step is different from many Trump has promised because it is directly targeting the youth of America. Over the months, Trump has promised to pass many offensive and frankly prejudiced acts. However, tearing down the act for the “Dreamers” is a low point. The American president is actually considering the possible deportation of innocent children, children who have already been through an intense vetting process in order to be apart of DACA.
As a college student, I’ve seen numerous acts of protest taken against this administration in the past few months. The criticism of this presidency rests in the hands of the millennial voters whose future is impacted by these sweeping policy changes. Trump knows this, and attempting to eliminate acts like DACA is his way of taking away the voice of the young people of America. No matter who you are, you know someone who has immigrated. Whether legally or illegally — and whether you believe immigration reform is necessary or not — every child deserves a place to call home. Trump’s repeal of DACA strips away that right from a child.