This week resulted in a lot of news and uncertainty about the DACA program, so let’s take it from the top. Hop in the Wayback machine, or the Tardis, or whatever, because we have to take it back to 2012.
2012 was five entire years ago, back when Barack Obama was the President, his administration crafted a new immigration program: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). This program aimed to help and address the needs of undocumented immigrants brought to this country as minors (under 16) by their parents. The logic was that, through no fault of their own, these children were brought here and for many of them, the United States is the only country they have ever known. The DACA program allowed them a renewable two year period in which they would not be deported, and could legally work. It cost each applicant nearly 1,000 dollars to gain access to this program, they must meet a list of requirements (including that they never committed a felony or serious misdemeanors) and the applicants had to trust the US government with proof that they were undocumented. 800,000 people benefit from this program.
Immigration reform is a bipartisan concern, but the stances vary by party. Republicans tend more towards the mindset that undocumented immigrants broke the law and, as non-citizens, should not gain benefits like work visas through programs like DACA. Democrats lean towards building paths toward citizenship even for those who immigrated to this country illegally. (538 can back me up on this, with data from January).
Now we come to the election of 2016 (sure sounds like one that will be oft-cited for years to come). Trump’s campaign trail was laden with anti-immigrant rhetoric, often not even distinguishing documented from undocumented immigrants, and far too frequently reducing citizens and noncitizens alike just to their race.
And now for September 5th, 2017. As of today, no new applicants will be accepted to the DACA program. Additionally, the program will be phased out in six months, by March 5th, 2018. For the next month, existing DACA recipients whose status would expire by that MArch 5th can renew their two-year legal status.
What comes next?
Well, an oft-cited concern with the DACA program was that President Obama was guilty of executive overreach in its creation, that he did not have the authority or should not have the ability to preside over matters of immigration. (Let us recall the sitting President’s actions on travel bans and scratch our chins at that.) However, now Congress has the opportunity to pass DACA legislation,which is what the Republican party has long claimed is the best option. They are in control of Congress, so it is in their hands that the fates of DACA recipients rests.
But this is all slightly abstract. Let’s zoom in. We have undocumented students in the Notre Dame family. We may not know who they are, but they are our peers and our classmates, our fellow cheerers from the student section and tearful petitioners at the Grotto, revelers at a dorm party and studiers on the 10th floor of the library. I wish that all they were concerned about were their classes, the football record this year, or a date going well. I cannot grant that to them, so the very least I can do is care that they are hurting, pray, and make some calls to my representatives who could try and grant those wishes.
Father Jenkins released a statement on September 5th, 2017, stating “A decision to discontinue DACA would be foolish, cruel and un-American. Foolish because it drives away talented people the country needs; cruel because it abandons people who have done nothing wrong and have known life only in the United States; and un-American because we have always welcomed immigrants to our land of opportunity. In coming days, I hope to meet with congressional leaders to argue for a permanent fix to this pressing problem. In the meantime, Notre Dame will continue to support DACA students financially, maintain their enrollment even if Congress fails to act and provide expert legal assistance should it become necessary.”
I am glad that our line in the sand still stands.
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