The Controversy of DACA
Aria Miller
Aria Miller
We have just reached the one year mark of having Donald Trump as the president of the United States. In September of 2017 Trump announced plans to reverse the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, also known as DACA. DACA is a program that protects illegal immigrants that were brought to the US, often by someone else, under the age of 16. This protection includes a work permit and amnesty from deportation. Conservatives have long disliked the DACA program. Now that Trump is planning for permits to begin expiring March 5, they are more than pleased to see it go. With only a few months before the termination date, people are voicing their want for DACA to stay. There have been multiple protests, people calling into their governors, and even outside opinions. With this controversial topic it is hard to see if the decision will go as planned or change.
For the 800,000 people in the US that rely on DACA, the controversial decision has the power to change their future. Since DACA focuses on immigrants that immigrated as children and teens, Hillgrove high school student, JaMonét Rice shared her opinion by saying that it does not impact her personally, “but I feel it is going to really shape America and as I see it”.
Rice continues to say, “we’re the nation of immigrants. It’s how we all got here in the first place”. Her strong responses reflects the many voices that are pro-DACA. With such a powerful decision at stake, it is not a surprise that it will effect her personal view of the US, the country she calls home.
“It means a second chance, an opportunity to do something better with your life”. This perception of the program goes to show what the program has offered and how effective its presence has been on the US and its citizens. As I went on questioning Rice about the Congress shut down and the controversy surrounding DACA, the central message from all her responses were that the program is something powerful that allows people who dream big to try and achieve those dreams. For many, all they know is America. It is more of their home than their native country that they have never been to. To Rice the DACA program is something that the US needs at the moment due to its ability to create opportunities.
Hillgrove High School student, Anna King, also shared: “A lot of people tend to move here. We’re a more known place that people want to go to for a better life and new beginning.”
King’s responses prove further that the United States is a place to go to prosper and grow and get a new start. Many of the immigrants coming to the United States are mainly here to start a new and better chapter of their life.
Another High School student, the younger sister of a DACA member and who would like to stay anonymous, spoke about her brother who will graduating soon and will start pursuing a profession. Her brother was brought to the United States at the age of two and has always been a hard worker. She also discussed the changes she would like to see in the program, how she would feel if DACA were to be terminated, and what she would say to Trump pertaining to DACA. She explained, “I wish more people would have an opportunity to have it. I’ve heard people talking about their family members being rejected from it and it is so sad to hear”.
She went on to say, “If DACA were to be terminated I don’t know how I’d feel. Just the thought of losing a great opportunity for my brother to have a better life is heartbreaking. I would tell [Trump] to reconsider his request. We as immigrants can be very helpful to the society if he just gave us a chance”.
No matter who I asked it all came down to the simple fact that people immigrate to the United States for a new and better life. Whether you are for DACA or not, we all come to the commonality that we all want a chance at a better life.
For the 800,000 people in the US that rely on DACA, the controversial decision has the power to change their future. Since DACA focuses on immigrants that immigrated as children and teens, Hillgrove high school student, JaMonét Rice shared her opinion by saying that it does not impact her personally, “but I feel it is going to really shape America and as I see it”.
Rice continues to say, “we’re the nation of immigrants. It’s how we all got here in the first place”. Her strong responses reflects the many voices that are pro-DACA. With such a powerful decision at stake, it is not a surprise that it will effect her personal view of the US, the country she calls home.
“It means a second chance, an opportunity to do something better with your life”. This perception of the program goes to show what the program has offered and how effective its presence has been on the US and its citizens. As I went on questioning Rice about the Congress shut down and the controversy surrounding DACA, the central message from all her responses were that the program is something powerful that allows people who dream big to try and achieve those dreams. For many, all they know is America. It is more of their home than their native country that they have never been to. To Rice the DACA program is something that the US needs at the moment due to its ability to create opportunities.
Hillgrove High School student, Anna King, also shared: “A lot of people tend to move here. We’re a more known place that people want to go to for a better life and new beginning.”
King’s responses prove further that the United States is a place to go to prosper and grow and get a new start. Many of the immigrants coming to the United States are mainly here to start a new and better chapter of their life.
Another High School student, the younger sister of a DACA member and who would like to stay anonymous, spoke about her brother who will graduating soon and will start pursuing a profession. Her brother was brought to the United States at the age of two and has always been a hard worker. She also discussed the changes she would like to see in the program, how she would feel if DACA were to be terminated, and what she would say to Trump pertaining to DACA. She explained, “I wish more people would have an opportunity to have it. I’ve heard people talking about their family members being rejected from it and it is so sad to hear”.
She went on to say, “If DACA were to be terminated I don’t know how I’d feel. Just the thought of losing a great opportunity for my brother to have a better life is heartbreaking. I would tell [Trump] to reconsider his request. We as immigrants can be very helpful to the society if he just gave us a chance”.
No matter who I asked it all came down to the simple fact that people immigrate to the United States for a new and better life. Whether you are for DACA or not, we all come to the commonality that we all want a chance at a better life.