The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that was meant to be a temporary stopgap is now the only tool that protects those brought to the U.S. as children from deportation.
Immigration advocates rally to urge Congress to pass permanent protections for DACA recipients and create a pathway to citizenship, near the U.S. Capitol, June 15, 2022, in Washington, D.C. Photo by (Drew Angerer/Getty Images/TNS)
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that was meant to be a temporary stopgap is now the only tool that protects those brought to the U.S. as children from deportation.
WASHINGTON — Thursday marked the 11th anniversary of a program that was created during the Obama administration to temporarily protect undocumented children from deportation.
But congressional inaction and legal challenges have led to more than a decade of limbo for the 600,000 people enrolled, with no end in sight. They are often called “Dreamers,” based on never-passed legislation in Congress called the Dream Act.
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that was meant to be a temporary stopgap is now the only tool that protects those brought to the U.S. as children from deportation. A pending court case out of Texas will determine whether DACA is legal — and what happens next.
