Dacas And Dreamers Be Warned: An Uncertain Future Lies Ahead
There's a new set of warnings to a certain class of immigrants in the United States. Those undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. while children and who qualify under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that was signed into law by executive action under President Obama are being told that they face an uncertain future in the U.S. under the Trump administration. If this applies to you or someone you love, this is what you should know.
DACAs and DREAMers Warned to Stay Inside U.S.
Many of these young immigrants, who don't recall a life outside of the U.S., refer to themselves as "DREAMers" after the title of the failed Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors. Under the Obama administration, they've been able to pursue educations and move about the country legally with work permits and driver's licenses through the use of renewable two-year permits to stay in the U.S.
Based on the incoming presidential administration's anti-immigration stance, those DREAMers who qualified for the DACA program are being warned not to be outside the U.S. when President-elect Trump takes office. If they are, they may find themselves unable to get back to their families inside the U.S. That curtails the plans of many who may have intended to travel outside of the U.S. to visit relatives or for educational purposes through their schools.
Young Immigrants Also Warned Not to Turn Over Information
Other experts are also warning young immigrants not to hand over new information to the government during the uncertain future. The University of Berkely, for example, has warned young would-be students who haven't yet gotten a DACA permit that would enable them to get documentation and a Social Security number not to apply for the program. It fears that would just be providing the government with the information it needs to scoop them up and deport them.
Additionally, the more than 750,000 young immigrants who already have provided their personal information to the existing DACA program in order to get the right to legally work and attend school in this country may want to consult with an immigration attorney as soon as possible. The President-elect has promised to repeal the program and could do so as soon as his first day in office. If that happens, it's uncertain what immediate repercussions those in the DACA program might face. While those in the program probably aren't the "criminal aliens" the President-elect has vowed to deport, they are in the U.S. illegally and they may need to find another way to apply for legal status.
If you are a member of the DACA program, consider contacting an immigration attorney as soon as possible to discuss your options.
Contact a firm like the New Jersey Immigration Lawyers, Tesoroni & Leroy to find out if this warning applies to you or someone you love.