This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UTSA chapter.
First off, I realize a lot of people are misinformed about DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), but it is so important to be informed about something that affects almost 800,000 people. I hope that these 6 facts will encourage you to #DefendDACA.
- DACA recipients were brought into this country by their parents for a better life, meaning, they did not have the choice to illegally come into this country. Therefore, they have committed no crime.
- 100% of DACA recipients have no criminal record. Any crime would leave them ineligible for DACA.
- Many DACA recipients were brought here as babies and life in America is all they know – they love America and its culture.
- States cannot afford to lose DACA recipients because several states would lose millions, if not billions, in annual GDP. DACA recipients will contribute billions to the U.S. gross domestic product over the next decade — economic growth that would be lost were DACA eliminated.
- 91% of DACA recipients are employed and are paying taxes while receiving no government benefits. The remaining percent are either too young to work or in school.
- Most DACA recipients are educated. Thousands of DACA recipients have pursued or are pursuing a bachelor’s degree. DACA recipients are not eligible for any government based scholarships; therefore, they receive no help from the government to fund their education.
Please get informed and help defend DACA.
Take a look at Results from Tom K. Wong1 et al., 2017 National DACA Study for more information.