U.S. President Donald Trump has decided to revoke the DACA policy that protects the children of immigrants.
What is DACA?
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy is an Obama-era executive action designed to protect those who arrived in the U.S. as children accompanying their undocumented migrant parents.
Obama administration’s viewed that as long as such childhood arrivals integrated lawfully and productively into American society, there could be no reasonable argument to send them back.
On the contrary, Mr. Trump had promised to crack down on all forms of undocumented immigration and hence called for DACA’s revocation.
Consequently, nearly 800,000 people in the U.S. now face the possibility of losing their jobs, driver’s licences and university seats and even deportation.
What is the current situation?
Now, the buck is effectively with the Congress to come up with a law for a lasting solution to the problem.
No new applications are being processed currently and existing beneficiaries requiring renewal of permits for a further two-year period before March 2018.
Beyond that deadline, their continuance in the U.S. would require lawmakers to come up with a new bill similar to the previously proposed (but failed) “Development, Relief & Education for Alien Minors” - (DREAM) Act.
How does the future look?
If an immigration bill gets passed, the painful questions surrounding visa issues could be laid to rest.
This would help foster a climate of greater predictability for businesses.
Given the hostile political climate, there is a real risk that short-term calculations force lawmakers to overlook the need for a more robust and a sustainable remedy.
