Trump plans to scrap protection for 'Dreamers’

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The Obama administration policy protecting immigrants who came to the United States illegally as children from deportation -- the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) -- is expected to be scrapped.

President Donald Trump has reportedly decided to delay enforcement of his decision however, and give Congress six months to draw up an alternative.

Top Republicans and business leaders have asked Trump to keep the program, which protects nearly 800,000 young men and women often called “Dreamers” from deportation and allows them to work legally.

Young immigrants and supporters gather for a rally in support of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in Los Angeles, California on September 1, 2017. /AFP Photo‍

Trump promised to deport all “Dreamers” during his presidential campaign, but many Americans have backed the young adults who have spent large parts of their lives in the US.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Paul Ryan urged Trump on Friday not to rescind the program and was joined by Senator Orrin Hatch, also a Republican.

Trump’s base will likely be far from happy about the president’s decision to leave open the option of a fix. Representative Steve King, a hawk on immigration and Iowa Republican, tweeted his opposition to the plan on Sunday night.

Democratic Senator Al Franken of Minnesota has called the reported decision a “disgrace.” /AFP Photo

Democrats, like Senator Al Franken of Minnesota, also wanted the program to continue. Franken called the reported decision a “disgrace.”

Nancy Pelosi, the top House Democrat, last week asked Ryan to meet with Democratic lawmakers to discuss a “comprehensive legislative solution.”

Leading business figures defended the Dreamers, including Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who signed a letter to the president outlining the economic contribution of Dreamers.

According to a study by FWD.us, a pro-immigration reform group co-founded by Zuckerberg, 30,000 young people will lose their jobs every month if DACA is repealed.

Tom Jawetz, Vice President of Immigration Policy at the Center for American Progress, contributed to the research by saying “the effects on the workforce will be devastating…. the nearly 700,000 DACA recipients in the workforce today have the potential to generate more than 460 million US dollars in gross domestic product.”

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin downplayed warnings about the economic impact of ending protection for "Dreamers" on Sunday. /AFP Photo

But US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin downplayed those warnings on Sunday, telling Fox News Sunday he was “less concerned about the economic impact.”

Most of the Dreamers came from Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America. More than 200,000 live in California, while 100,000 are in Texas. New York, Illinois and Florida also have large numbers.

DACA supporters argue that the people it protects grew up US-educated and are integrated into American society, with little connection to the countries in which they are citizens. Opponents of the program argue that illegal immigrants take jobs from US citizens.

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Source(s): Reuters