June 15 is the anniversary of DACA, the Deferred Action Program that President Obama announced in 2012, which allows young undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children, to be protected from deportation and apply for a temporary work authorization.
To commemorate this anniversary, we would like to share 4 important things you should know about DACA brought by the Center for American Progress (CAP):
1. DACA recipients live in all 50 states: While the largest number of DACAmented youth are in California, Texas, Illinois, New York, and Florida, DACA recipients live in and contribute to all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam.
2. DACA is having a strong economic impact: Survey research by Professor Tom K. Wong, the National Immigration Law Center, and CAP, found that after DACA, more than two-thirds of recipients were able to secure a job with higher pay, and their wages rose by an average of 45 percent. Higher wages are not just good for recipients but also for all Americans because they stimulate more economic growth and translate into more tax revenue.
3. DACA is helping recipients access higher education: Research has found that getting higher-paying jobs after DACA is helping recipients afford higher education. Likewise, DACA recipients in Virginia, as well as at select schools in Arizona, Ohio, Missouri, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, can now qualify for in-state tuition. For those recipients who live in states that do not offer in-state tuition, or that bar such students entirely from enrolling in public institutions, the new Opportunity Scholarship from TheDream.US gives these individuals the potential to attend school in Delaware and Connecticut at decreased rates and receive a scholarship to cover their tuition, room, and board.
4. DACA is helping families: DACA recipients are also playing a major role by helping support their families’ economic well-being. In a survey of DACA recipients from United We Dream, or UWD, nearly two-thirds of DACA recipients say that they help their families with rent and utilities.
Read the complete CAP’s post HERE.
