The Trump administration announced on Tuesday the \u201cwind down\u201d of an Obama-era program that, in part, allows for hundreds of thousands of young undocumented immigrants to remain in the country.<\/p>\n
The administration\u00a0officially announced<\/a>\u00a0its plan to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program \u2013 which provides a level of amnesty to certain undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children \u2013 with a six-month delay for current recipients.<\/p>\n With the delay, the solution for protecting young immigrants from deportation is punted to Congress, with only a few months to pass immigration reform legislation. President Trump urged lawmakers on Tuesday to \u201cdo your job\u201d with DACA.<\/p>\n Congress, get ready to do your job – DACA!<\/p>\n \u2014 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke said Tuesday that while DACA will be phased out for current recipients, \u201cno new initial requests or associated applications filed after today will be acted on.\u201d<\/p>\n Read on for a look at how the DACA program works and why the administration disbanded it.<\/p>\n What is the DACA program?<\/b><\/p>\n The DACA program was formed through executive order by former President Barack Obama in 2012 and allows certain people, called Dreamers, who come to the U.S. illegally as minors to be protected from immediate deportation. Recipients are able to request \u201cconsideration of deferred action\u201d for a period of two years which is subject to renewal.<\/p>\n \u201cDeferred action is a use of prosecutorial discretion to defer removal action against an individual for a certain period of time,\u201d\u00a0U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services<\/a>\u00a0states. \u201cDeferred action does not provide lawful status.\u201d<\/p>\n TRUMP EXPECTED TO DECIDE SOON ON FATE OF DREAMERS<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n Individuals are able to request DACA status if they were under the age of 31 on June 15, 2012, came to the U.S. before turning 16 and have continuously lived in the country since June 15, 2007.<\/p>\n Individuals must also have a high school diploma, GED certification, been honorably discharged from the military or still be in school. Recipients cannot have a criminal record.<\/p>\n It does not provide \u201clegal status.\u201d<\/p>\n How many people are affected by DACA?<\/b><\/p>\n Nearly 800,000 undocumented youth are under the program’s umbrella.<\/p>\n Thousands of people could lose their jobs should Trump decide to phase out the DACA program, according to a\u00a0recent study by the left-leaning think tank<\/a>, the Center for American Progress.<\/p>\n Nearly 2,000 leaders have\u00a0signed a letter<\/a>\u00a0asking Trump to protect the so-called Dreamers, including eight governors.<\/p>\n “As leaders of communities across the country \u2013 individuals and institutions that have seen these young people grow up in our communities \u2013 we recognize how they have enriched and strengthened our cities, states, schools, businesses, congregations and families.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cAs leaders of communities across the country \u2013 individuals and institutions that have seen these young people grow up in our communities \u2013 we recognize how they have enriched and strengthened our cities, states, schools, businesses, congregations and families,\u201d the letter said.<\/p>\n Why did the Trump administration dismantle it?<\/b><\/p>\n During the presidential campaign, Trump referred to DACA as \u201cillegal amnesty.\u201d However, he seemingly signaled that he had softened his stance on the program in April when he told the Associated Press that DACA recipients could \u201crest easy.\u201d<\/p>\n Yet the administration announced its plan to dismantle the program on Tuesday.<\/p>\n MOTHER OF TWO AT CENTER OF DACA DEBATE IN KENTUCKY<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n Republicans \u2013 and some Democrats \u2013 opposed Obama\u2019s order from the start as a perceived overreach of executive power.<\/p>\n \u201cThe point here is \u2026 the president does not have the authority to waive immigration law, nor does he have the authority to create it out of thin air,\u201d Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa,\u00a0said at the time<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n
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