Immigration Essay Example: Report on The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

Immigration policy is one of the most controversial programs in the United States because it triggers mixed reactions from all the leaders of the political divide, civil society groups, business people and American citizens. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals is an excellent example of such policies. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals is a form an administrative relief for the undocumented citizens from deportation. DACA is an American immigration policy that allows individuals who got to the United States illegally as children to be given a two-year renewable relief from deportation and therefore they are eligible for a work permits and study in the United States. Generally, the protection of the immigrant youth who got to America when they were children from deportation is the main aim of the DACA policy.

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The requirements for consideration for the DACA program are: being under 31 years as of June,15,2012, the individual must have been under 16years at the time of entering the U.S, must have continuously resided in the U.S from June 15, 2007, to date and must have no criminal records. The requirement criteria stipulated for DACA has necessitated protests and mixed reactions in the United States and also across the world due to the perception that they contravene the inalienable human rights. The motive behind the DACA policy and the recurring repeal demonstrates that the program affects America's. In lieu of the above, this report will explore the overall immigration policy and the implications of DACA in the United States of America.

DACA program has enhanced labour-force participation and the standards of living of the eligible immigrants. The repeal of the DACA's American immigration policy has necessitated the employment of the immigrants in different sectors of the economy in the United States thus reducing the number of households living below the poverty line. Recent reports have also shown that cases of mental health have decreased significantly as the majority of the immigrants are getting medical care services without any form of prejudice or discrimination. (Hollifield, James, Philip L. Martin, and Pia Orrenius).However, the overall impact of the DACA program on the standards of living of the native workers and the quality of medical services hasn't been well-documented though it is important to note that the policy has significantly transformed the economy of the United States.

Another important aspect of the DACA program is the overall effect on the education outcomes. The policy has shaped the trend of enrolment in high school and college in the United States. Education is a fundamental right for America's citizens, and therefore DACA program provides an opportunity for the eligible immigrants to attend the needed level of education in various educational facilities. Education is the foundation for more opportunities to enhance the welfare of the citizens. The authorization of the immigrants serves as a motivation for education because the individuals are guaranteed employment and social security services from the government (Hollifield, James, Philip L. Martin, and Pia Orrenius). The absence of the legal documents not only disenfranchises the immigrants but also discourages the drive for education. Therefore, the DACA policy nurtures talents and skills through education with a surety of employment opportunities upon completion. Education is a unifying factor when handling emotive issues that affect members of society.

The issue of safety and privacy is essential both at the individual and national levels. Biodata is important especially when seeking social security services in public institutions. The disclosure of personal information to government agencies instils the fear feeling among the illegal immigrants. The individuals tend to live in fear because of the uncertainty of their legality. The constant worries are mental torture to the affected immigrants, and it depresses the immigrant as they are not guaranteed of their savings and lifetime investments (Teranishi, Robert T., Carola Suarez-Orozco, and Marcelo Suarez-Orozco). The repeal of the DACA provided the assurance and safety to the eligible immigrants on their employment status and the ability to study in the United States. Furthermore, it brings hope to the young immigrants about their fate and future in the United States.

The backbone of a country's economy lies in labour. Labour is an important factor of production, and lots of arguments were presented on the notion that DACA beneficiaries reduce the chances of employment for the native workers. Whether the assertions are true or untrue is a matter of debate. However, DACA policy improves the overall consumption in the economy and consequently increases the demand for the governments' services. The beneficiaries of the DACA program contributes equally to the development of the United States because they also pay for the services just like the native workers. From an economic perspective, the highly skilled labour enhance local and national productivity, as a result creating more employment opportunities to other members in the society either directly or indirectly (Hollifield, James, Philip L. Martin, and Pia Orrenius).

The issues raised on the sustainability of the DACA to the economy of the United States and the net impact on the elimination of the policy primarily on the U.S GDP is a relevant concern. Despite the benefits it has on the eligible immigrants, it affects the native workers since it creates competition for the employment opportunities and the services provided by the government. There's need to strike a balance because the risk of deportation of these immigrants can detrimentally affect the performance and growth of the economy (Gonzales, Roberto G., Veronica Terriquez, and Stephen P. Ruszczyk). Currently, the United States has more illegal immigrants mainly from the Mexico origin that resides and work in the country. Studies have also shown that DACA beneficiaries have a net positive fiscal impact on the economy. The investment made in educating the DACA eligible immigrants in the public school system is aimed at imparting skills and knowledge for the overall good of America.

Crime history of the individuals is one of the requirements for consideration under the DACA program. The recent data from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services showed that approximately 54.8% of the DACA requestors with a history of arrest has their status for considerations "approved" in the systems and 13% of the DACA approved requests had a seizure before the renewal or after being cleared for DACA eligibility. There has been widespread concern about the criteria used in screening the DACA requestors, and it is believed that the policy risks protecting criminals from deportation. The DACA policy is perceived to safeguard various criminals with past arrests of human trafficking, sexual assault of the minors, kidnapping, and murder and child pornography in the country (Batalova, Jeanne, et al.).The policy has received mixed reactions from various states and also across the political divide because government protection of these criminals under the disguise of DACA policy poses a potential threat to the national security.

According to (Batalova, Jeanne, et al.), it is argued that illegal immigrants are less likely to commit a felony as compared to the natives, it is challenging to substantiate the claim because of the difficulties in establishing the motive to commit a crime and also due to the inadequate date on the history and previous records of the illegal immigrants. The DACA policy only protects the eligible immigrants as per the stipulated requirements which is usually difficult to amend.

The DACA policy has initiated different interpretation and division both at the state and city levels. The policy makers that support the program believes that the United States of America lacks the capacity and the needed resources to help all the illegal immigrants in the country and thus promotes selective enforcement of the law on only the criminal immigrants. However, the policymakers opposing the DACA program argued that it would increase the states' expenditure on education, healthcare, social security benefits and law enforcement, costs emanating from the relief accorded to the immigrants.

Summarily, as discussed above DACA is a controversial policy that directly or indirectly affects the operation of the United States. It is one of America's immigration policy that has initiated diverse reactions from all the players in America. The arguments presented shows that the implication of the plan is double-edged on the overall performance of the states and therefore requires a comprehensive approach and deliberations on how to implement and incorporate the sentiments raised. Generally, evaluation of the policy relies on a balance of probability and the priority of its mandate.

Worked Cited

Batalova, Jeanne, et al. "DACA at the Two-Year Mark." A National and State Profile of Youth Eligible and Applying for Deferred Action. Migration Policy Institute. Washington, DC. URL: http://www. Migration policy. org/sites/default/files/publications/DACA-Report-2014-FINAL WEB. Pdf [7.9. 2015] (2014). Stanford University Press, 2014.https://www.ebsco.com

Gonzales, Roberto G., Veronica Terriquez, and Stephen P. Ruszczyk. "Becoming DACAmented: Assessing the short-term benefits of deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA)." American Behavioral Scientist 58.14 (2014): 1852-1872.

Hollifield, James, Philip L. Martin, and Pia Orrenius, eds. Controlling immigration: A global perspective. https://www.ebsco.com/

Teranishi, Robert T., Carola Suarez-Orozco, and Marcelo Suarez-Orozco. "In the shadows of the ivory tower: Undocumented undergraduates and the liminal state of immigration reform." (2015). https://www.ebsco.com/