Recently, DACA has been all over the news, locally and nationally. DACA has been in the news recently because of its rescindment by the Trump administration on September 5, but the phasing out of DACA has been delayed sixth months. So here are some of the things you need to know about DACA.

Q: What is DACA?
A: DACA stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, DACA is an immigration based policy and EO(executive order) by former President Barack Obama in 2012. DACA covers roughly 800,000 illegal immigrants who were minors when they entered the country. To be eligible for the DACA program, applicants had to be younger than 31 years old as of the start of the program June 15, 2012, prove they lived in the United States since June 12 of 2007, and have arrived in the United States before the age of 16. Applicants are not allowed to have a criminal record, must be in school, and have a high school diploma or be honorably discharged from the military.

Q: What does DACA do?
A: The program does not give lawful status nor a path to citizen or permanent residency and the program also does not give those enrolled the ability to sign up for federal welfare or student aid. The program does allow recipients to be able to get a driver’s license, get into college, and legally obtain a job. They are also able to receive a two year renewable deferral from deportation, under which after those two years they will have to reapply.

Q:Why is DACA being rescinded?
A: The reason, according to President Donald Trump,is:”The legislative branch, not the executive branch, writes these laws a�� this is the bedrock of our Constitutional system, which I took a solemn oath to preserve, protect, and defend.” (http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-donald-trump-daca-statement-20170905-story.html)
President Trump said “The legislative branch, not the executive branch, write these laws” because in June of 2012, former President Obama wrote an executive order that many has stated was an abuse of executive power. President Trump is indicating that only Congress should be allowed to make these kinds of laws. The six month delay on the rescindment of DACA was put in place to allow Congress to have time to put a more permanent and thorough law in place.