The vast majority of St. Lawrence students are American citizens, and enjoy rights and privileges which are nonexistent for other community members. Maximizing our college experience, around 60-70 percent of students will undergo an off-campus study experience.
During the mid-semester break, many Laurentian students skated on the Rideau Canal in Ottawa or explored the city of Montreal. We have the freedom to travel the world and call the United States our home, while some hide in the shadows and will never study abroad.
These students were born outside of U.S. borders, either with or without parental supervision. Optimistically, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients are in pursuit of the “American Dream” during the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant agenda.
In 2012, President Obama used executive power to pass DACA to create stability for undocumented immigrants in securing educational and employment opportunities. The goal of DACA is to create a path towards citizenship for young migrants with a clean criminal record and who are willing to attend college or serve in the military. Immigration enforcement agencies could then focus resources on pursuing undocumented migrants who are causing violence and instability. According to the Pew Research Center, “As of Aug. 31st, 2018, nearly 700,000 young adults who came to the U.S. illegally as children were recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.”
The complexity of DACA has motivated politicians to politicize the subject to garner support from constituents. Depending on the theoretical approach, we should either treat undocumented immigrants as criminals or refugees. Obama orchestrated a supportive approach, but was denied expansion of DACA in November of 2014.
Trump galvanized intransigent citizens to view DACA as a gateway for more illegal activity to spread within our borders. Americans must face the challenge in deciphering who is eligible for citizens’ rights, and to what degree expanding citizenship is constitutional. Unfortunately, in polarizing communities’ perceptions of DACA recipients, we continue to drift away from the humanitarian bi-partisan issue at hand.
In 2017, President Trump pushed to suspend DACA in an effort to increase security for American citizens. A Republican contention is that illegal immigration condones unlawful migration into our country while undermining the legal process. However, DACA is a legal process to prove oneself as an active resident capable of becoming a citizen. It can also be difficult to hold children culpable for arriving alone without any family protection. After President Trump’s announcement to phase out DACA, President Obama responded, quoted by the Los Angeles Times, “This is about young people who grew up in America – kids who study in our schools, young adults who are starting careers, patriots who pledge allegiance to our flag. These Dreamers are Americans in their hearts, their minds, in every single way but one: on paper.”
Instead of viewing the problem as a Republican or Democratic issue, we must consider a middle ground to improve our communities. If young children are given the opportunity to become educated and better serve our communities, why would we strip them of their agency? If these children are interested in protecting our country, why would we limit their opportunities to join our military? These are patriotic values held by citizens and undocumented immigrants across our nation. In promoting DACA as a bi-partisan approach, we can lay the foundation for a long-term solution for undocumented immigrants.