No more DACA? An Uncertain Future Under the Trump Administration

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) provides temporary relief from deportation and legal work authorization for eligible unauthorized youth in the U.S. In September of 2012, the Obama administration began to allow individuals that entered the country as minors be granted the opportunity of deferred action from deportations and work permits. In 2014, the motion for covering additional immigrants under the act was blocked by the courts, and as of 2018, President Trump plans on disbanding DACA as well as the DREAM act, changing the lives of millions who have shaped America. For this research, I conducted a literature review that examines the benefits and limitations of DACA, the emotional and mental effects of being an “illegal” immigrant, and the political views of members of the current U.S. administration that will threaten the lives of many. Finally, I propose a possible research project to further explore this issue.