Staff Editorial: Replacement for DACA should have preceded repeal

Staff+Editorial%3A+Replacement+for+DACA+should+have+preceded+repeal

Drawing By Aparnna Manoj

President Donald Trump put a ban on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program on Sept. 5, permitting congress a six month time frame to propose a solution. This abrupt act has caused many American residents distress. Before the ban on DACA was implemented, the government should have provided a solid replacement, because Trump’s ban targets innocent people without a choice of action and may cause economic decline in America.

DACA allowed approximately 800,000 DACA recipients to remain in the country. This ban targets immigrants that were children when their parents chose to come to this country undocumented. Being children, most of these recipients did not know the seriousness or risks of the situation. These children grew up in America, and this is their only home, so banning the DACA program may potentially cause many recipients to become deported.

Growing up in America has allowed many of the DACA recipients to pursue a higher education and attain jobs to support their family. There are people like Cesar Montelongo Hernandez, a med student, whose parents surpassed their working visa to stay in America. Now, he is in the shadows of the DACA ban, unsure of whether he will be able to stay in the country. These immigrants have shown their economic contributions in the American statistics. According to a survey done by Center for American Progress in 2015, there was an increase in employment rates after the DACA program was increased. In a follow up survey, the Center for American Progress has shown an increase from 91 to 93 percent. If the program is banned, the U.S. would have to face not only financial losses but job declines too,.

As of Sept. 14, senator Chuck Schumer and representative Nancy Pelosi announced to have discussed a formulated solution to this DACA ban, but nothing has been finalized yet. Instead of leaving the immigrants in the dark about their future, the government should implement a solution before banning the program all together. The six months given to congress to create a solution is acting like an expiration date; it’s not a sufficient enough time frame to help the DACA recipients, especially students still attending college. The government should provide a solution that could lead to a path of citizenship to ensure DACA recipients a safe tomorrow.

This whole situation has brought mayhem to many DACA recipients, giving them a second doubt about the possibility of a secure future. In order to ensure a better future for the DACA recipients and America, Trump should put an end to his efforts to ban DACA.