In what might prove to be the biggest and most impacting action Trump will make on immigration in his first year as President, the US will no longer protect children that have arrived in the country illegally as of March 2018
On September 5, President Trump delivered his latest blow in his crusade to diminish President Obama’s legacy by revealing that he intends to abolish DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals).
The legislation, which was enacted under Obama’s administration in 2012, allowed for minors who had arrived in the US illegally to be eligible for a work permit once they reached working age, as well as not face the threat of deportation for at least two years.
But the day before some Republican state officials intended to sue the US government over the scheme’s “unconstitutionality”, Trump announced in a statement his plans to scrap it, throwing the future of many young people into doubt.
Those protected by the legislation are known as “DREAMers” after the Dream Act that was first introduced in 2001 but stalled in Congress for many months, leading to President Obama enacting DACA.
Before September 2017, almost 800,000 were said to be enrolled in the scheme after having arrived illegally in the US when they were children – some with parents who had legal work visas but who had failed to obtain them for their children, others with families who had been unsuccessful in seeking asylum.
Initially, Trump said that Congress would have six months to find a replacement and to pass legislation to save the DREAMers, meaning that the current programme’s protections would be revoked in March 2018.
However in the last few days it has emerged that several senior congressional Democrats have been meeting with the President behind closed doors to negotiate a deal.
Trump made it clear in a statement to White House reporters that such a deal would most likely include “massive border security”, but that it would not include the funding agreement he is seeking for his border wall.
But this statement was contradicted in a tweet that Trump sent out early yesterday morning in which he claimed “no deal was made”:
No deal was made last night on DACA. Massive border security would have to be agreed to in exchange for consent. Would be subject to vote.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 14, 2017
To further add to the confusion, Trump later tweeted he didn’t think it was right that DREAMers who were “accomplished young people” should be forced to leave the US:
Does anybody really want to throw out good, educated and accomplished young people who have jobs, some serving in the military? Really!…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 14, 2017
…They have been in our country for many years through no fault of their own – brought in by parents at young age. Plus BIG border security
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 14, 2017
Fifteen states are reportedly looking to sue Trump over the decision to dismantle the programme.