DACA Faces Unlikely Future Under Trump

Feature Photo Credit: davidsperlinglaw.com

By Lorin McLain

Immigrants in Arizona benefitting from the DACA program enacted under President Obama might be in trouble in the incoming administration under President-elect Donald Trump. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) allows undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children to receive temporary work permits and protection from deportation. Obama issued the policy and the DAPA program through executive action.

DAPA was an extension of the original DACA order to protect parents of children made citizens by birth in the U.S.  It was shot down earlier this year by U.S. Supreme Court decision that also struck down an extension of the DACA program. The original version of DACA currently protects 1.2 million people who qualify, according to “The New York Times.”

For DACA qualifiers in Arizona, their future under President-elect Trump looks troubling for a couple of reasons, particularly if he plans to honor his campaign pledges. During his campaign, Trump’s immigration proposals listed on his website called to “immediately terminate President Obama’s two illegal executive amnesties.” The objectives didn’t exactly specify DACA and DAPA, but the programs were part of executive actions Obama issued in 2012 and 2014. Obama made his concerns for the program evident in a press conference this week, where he urged the incoming administration “to think long and hard before they are endangering that status of what for all practical purposes are American kids.” The president added “it is my strong belief that the majority of the American people would not want to see suddenly those kids have to start hiding again. And that’s something that I will encourage the president-elect to see.”

How much immigrants are protected under DACA could also depend on whomever Trump appoints to head the Department of Homeland Security, which currently runs the program. DACA won’t hold much legitimacy in the incoming administration by the looks of Trump’s list of nominees, which includes outgoing Maricopa County Sheriff, Joe Arpaio. Rudy Giuliani is also considered, along with Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke, Junior, retired Marine General John F. Kelly, Kansas Secretary of State and adviser to Trump on his immigration policy, Kris Kobach, and Representative Michael McCaul from Texas. All have been vocal supporters of Trump’s hardline immigration plans that include mass deportations and building a wall.