If you thought that Trump’s attack on members of the Latinx community ended with his Arpaio pardoning, you are sadly mistaken. He rolled back on an immigration policy that protects child immigrants called DACA, or the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (an idea that existed before Obama, contrary to what Fox tells you) that were designed to protect those brought to the US as small children from deportation. People protected under this programme are referred to as “Dreamers”. DACA does benefit children from other countries, but it protects children mainly from El Savador, Mexico, Honduras, and other Spanish speaking countries. Regardless of political affiliation, most Americans agree that even though the parents of these children broke the law by immigrating illegally, the kids should not have to pay the price for their parent's actions. Yes, the parents of Dreamers arrived in the US under dubious circumstances, but what are the kids going to do about it? Upholding the law surrounding the border is one thing, but dealing with people who already live, work, contribute to American society in a fair and just matter is another, and that’s exactly what we’ll be breaking down today.
By the way some people characterize Dreamers, you'd think of them as lazy, cheating the system and leeching off of it, and are unaccounted for burdens of American society. All of this is incredibly untrue. Let's debunk some of these myths. Being protected under DACA is similar to being protected by a worker’s permit. It is not automatic citizenship. DACA recipients pay taxes (and if we’re being honest we don't even know if the President does, he won't release them lol). Undocumented families do still pay for things like college and their homes. Most Dreamers also receive some form of formal education. 95% are either currently in school or are employed. They have good credit and good standing with their respective communities. DACA recipients must stay out of trouble and make sure they have no criminal record, they must prove they were brought to the US before the age of 16, and be under the age of 31 when the program was launched, but at least 15 years old when applying, all with proper documentation. They fit this strict criteria and are allowed sanctuary in the United States. Not only are these kids vulnerable, at the same time, many manage to achieve great things. Dreamers are doctors, lawyers, engineers, and educators. They are our first responders and they serve their country honorably in the armed forces. Most importantly, Dreamers are people. They are human beings that deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, not some economic gain or political campaign promise. It does not matter how much money they make, or how great it makes liberals by keeping them in the US. America promised to keep these children safe. America is a country that preaches amnesty and compassion. Going after Dreamers says a lot more about Trump and his government than it does about DACA recipients. You are judged based on how you treat your most vulnerable, and right now, he’d be judged pretty harshly. 45 is taking away that respect and dignity we usually treat people with by putting DACA to Congress.
Tweeter-In-Chief expressing policy in 140 characters or less. Nice.
DACA protects Dreamers from ICE agents busting into their place of work, home, or gas station, and deporting them, and now their fate is in the hands of the same people who think only rich healthy people deserve health care. 45 Tweeted (ughhhhhh) that he would give Congress 6 months to take care of DACA, or he would “revisit” the issue another time. Leasing a new car can take up to 6 months. Learning how to code can take up 6 months. But the fate of 800,000 people?? No. That takes time (a whole lot more than 6 months) and empathy. Two things this administration has proven it does not have. This is also a safety net for himself and those around him. Trump is handing DACA off to the “other” part of the Republican party is the equivalent of you making your sibling do the dishes. If glass breaks, your sibling did it, and that's why they cant be trusted. If it miraculously does all go well, you did the dishes, and your parents should thank you. If DACA is saved, he gets the credit, but America loses DACA, it's just another reason to “drain the swamp”.
By putting this legislation in the hands of men like Mitch McConnell (who played politics with the healthcare of 9/11 first responders) and Paul Ryan (a man who said he could never defend Trump, and then proceeded to do just that), President Trump is signalling that he does not care for the well being of these people. He ran on an “America First” agenda and is now turning his back on America. If it wasn't already clear, Dreamers are Americans, and Trump wants to convince you they are not. For many, America is the only home they have ever known. They are contributing members of society, but because their skin is brown and their parents come from a different country, they are apparently unworthy of the American Dream.
From an economic position, scrapping DACA is a bad idea, as it can cost the federal government up to $200 billion dollars, and up to 700,000 jobs. Getting rid of DACA is also a terrible political move (the Republican party is at war with itself and I may be enjoying it a little too much). And of course, morally, it is the worst possible thing to do. It will harm those 800,000 young people.
Bad for the economy, bad for the party, and bad for politics. Yet, The Orange One insists on doing so. Why? Because there is one extra special red baseball cap-wearing group of people who scrapping DACA is not bad for. The people that voted for him. No, not the blue-to-red swing state voters, or the economically depressed voter, or the mom who lost her son to fentanyl and wants to see changes to how we treat addictions. I mean the bigots who show up to a Nazi rally on Sunday and go back to work on Monday like no big deal, in the same damn hideous polo shirt. Whether you prefer hoods and robes, or suits and power ties, David Duke all the way to Mike Huckabee, it seems like every kind of bigot seems to be a fan of this President. This is because they know this man will do anything to stay in power, and that includes fear mongering and scape-goating innocent people who have worked three times as hard to get to where they are.
Destroying DACA does not fix any known problem in the American political climate. It is exactly like the Muslim ban. It gets the racists going, but it solves no actual issue, in fact, it just creates one. Going after DACA just stimulates the negative stereotypes against Latinx people. Dreamers are hard workers, but unfortunately, they are just seen as “aliens” to many of the people who support this President, and they would love nothing more than to see Latinx people victimized. I mean if we are deporting kids who are taking advantage of the system, never earned a job in their life, and are a waste of tax-payer money to take care of, why not start with the Trump kids???? Obviously, I’m kidding here to emphasis my point. And in all honesty, we can sit here yelling back and forth, as we do with every topic in the news, but this one doesn't require much thinking. Innocent people don't deserve their homes, families, jobs, and livelihood taken from them. If you pay taxes in this country, work hard, and contribute positively to your community, you are welcome here.
It is sad to see in the age of Trump, where people are more concerned with the status of a hard working American and are more inclined to protect the safety of those who go against moral values (white nationalists) rather than those who uphold them. Dreamers are hard working young people, whose parents risked everything to give them a taste of liberty and freedom, and now those young people are feeding culture, education, and service right back into our communities. They come to America with nothing and soon become everything we strive to be. If we deport Dreamers, we are deporting the dedicated and bright. They are only asking for space to show what they are capable, and it’s high time we make room for them. If Trump really wants to make America “great”, he’ll protect our Dreamers. They showcase the best of who we are, and what America is all about.
