DACA Controversy: What's It All About?
On Friday morning President Trump tweeted out “CHAIN MIGRATION cannot be allowed to be a part of any legislation on immigration!”. Chain Migration is a term that refers to immigrants coming to a country based on family connections. We are not clear on what President Trump was referring to, but it is clear that it has sparked fear into DACA recipients and immigrants as a majority. Trump has announced an end to the DACA organization (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). DACA was started by President Barack Obama to protect young undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S during childhood. This week Trump has jumpstarted discussion, in Democrats mostly, on how to save the organization and to keep “Dreamers” in the U.S. President Trump has urged Congress to put an end to DACA calling it an “amnesty first-approach”, but urged Congress to make a replacement before he begins starting protections in six months.
Trump has endorsed a bill from Tom Cotton Republican Senator (from Arkansas) that would eliminate some parts of family sponsorship and limitations on green cards to young immigrants and and their immediate families. Even though some would say that all Republicans support the bill, it faces opposition on both sides. Some do not like that it slashes green cards annually in half and that it does not allow for low-skilled applicants. Under Trumps plan, Dreamers can renew their enrollment in DACA as long as they apply on or before October 5. Immigrant advocates have started to set up renewal workshops to help with renewing their enrollment. Over 150,000 members of the DACA program need to get their enrollment renewed. According to the National Immigration Law Center, no new applications would have been accepted after September 5, 2017 and renewals will not be accepted after October 5th, 2017. Should the government allow “Dreamers” to stay in the U.S without the fear of being deported? Let us know.
