The Issue

This morning, President Donald J. Trump ended DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals).

THe Question

What do you think about DACA? And what can you do about it? It’s your turn to take part and act on your informed knowledge!

Share Your Opinion

Before we learn more about this, share your opinion - take our DACA survey.

Learn

What Is DACA?

On June 15, 2012, the Secretary of Homeland Security announced that certain people who came to the United States as children and meet several guidelines may request consideration of deferred action (so that they are not deported) for a period of two years, subject to renewal. They are also eligible for work authorization. Deferred action is a use of prosecutorial discretion to defer removal action against an individual for a certain period of time. Deferred action does not provide lawful status.

Since it was first announced on June 15, 2012, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy has provided temporary relief from deportation, as well as work authorization to approximately 800,000 undocumented young people across the country. As research has consistently shown, DACA has not only improved the lives of undocumented young people and their families but has also positively affected the economy more generally, which benefits all Americans.

On September 5, 2017 President Trump rescinded DACA, ordering an end to the Obama-era executive action that shields young undocumented immigrants from deportation, calling the program an “amnesty-first approach” and urging Congress to replace it with legislation before it begins phasing out on March 5, 2018.

Here’s a VOX article: DACA Explained

DACA explained with a cartoon and 11 charts

Video - Hurricane Harvey Hero now faces DACA deportation.

Read the story of hundreds of Dreamers (DACA recipients)

And watch this video about the effects of the repeal of DACA on Dreamers.

Here's an economic view of DACA from Marketplace.

Some More Facts About DACA

Here is a report on the impact to the U.S. of DACA from the Center for American Progress.

And this is the Pew Research Center's DACA Fact Sheet.

DACA FAQs from The Guardian

Popular Opinion

According to an August 31 NBC News Poll, nearly three in four (71 percent) respondents, however, said they felt undocumented immigrants working in the U.S. should be offered a chance to apply for legal status, while just 26 percent said they believed those people should be deported.

Critical Opinion

Editorials - smart people with strong opinions about DACA

Brett Stephens - Only Mass Deportation Can Save America

David Leonhardt - Deporting Dreamers

Dale Wilcox - Why Trump Must End DACA

And even more writers from the left and the right weigh in on ending DACA.

Visual Opinion

Organize Your Thoughts

Complete our Dreamer Class Starter

Complete our DACA-ument worksheet

Complete our Points of View worksheet

Create

Take part in our Dreamer Interview Project

Discuss

Listen and talk in our DACE fishbowl.

Write

Write makes Might!

Now, let's take all that knowledge and our fishbowl discussion and write an argumentation essay: should President Trump have ended DACA?

Act

By now you must have an opinion about DACA. Do something about it!

Here's a list of ideas for DACtion Share the results of your action in class or online.

Re-Reflect

Your Opinion again

Now that you’ve learned about and acted on this issue, share your opinion - take our DACA survey.

Exit Interview

1. How did your opinion change?

2. In what way did your opinion not change?

3. What do you know now that you didn’t know before.