NRI

How Will Trump’s Plan to Scrap DACA Affect Indian-Americans

Donald Trump aims to withdraw DACA, the program initiated by the Obama government that gives work permits to illegal child immigrants.

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United States President Donald Trump is all set to scrap the ‘Deferred Action for Children Arrival’ (DACA) program, which grants work permits to people who illegally arrived in the country as children. This move from Trump will negatively impact people from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, China, and India, according to the statistics from Migration Policy Institute.

This reform was amended by former President Barack Obama during his tenure. Now, Trump will reportedly give six months to the Congress to come up with a better alternative for this popular initiative, the New York Times reported.

Indo-Americans’ Fate at Stake

The decision to scrap DACA was one of Trump’s poll promises, and the withdrawal of this program is expected to fetch criticism from many corners, including his own Republican party sometimes. Paul Ryan, the Speaker of US House of Representatives, reacted to Trump’s move in a strong manner, saying the President should not terminate DACA, as these children know no other country than the US.

Statistics indicate that the DACA program is protecting more than 7,50,000 people in the United States from being deported. If Trump withdraws this program, the worst affected country will be Mexico, as 1,28,200 people from this Latin American country are reaping the benefits of DACA.

India is placed number eighth in the countries that produce illegal immigrants. According to the Migration Policy Institute, United States has 22,000 illegal Indian immigrants who are making use of the DACA provision for their studies and work.

DACA: Barack Obama’s Most Appreciated Program

The Deferred Action for Children Arrival program was formulated by the Obama government to allow illegally arrived child immigrants to continue their work and study in the US. To enjoy the benefits of DACA, the applicants should be under the age of 30, and they should submit all their personal details to the Department of Homeland Security. FBI conducts a background check on these individuals, and in exchange, the US government agrees to defer any legal action on their immigration status for a span of two years.

As per government records, the average age of DACA recipients is 22, and 17 per cent of them are on the verge of completing an advanced degree.

Some senior administration officials have hinted that Trump may change his decision as this is a sensitive issue, which may fetch serious results if implemented.

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