According to a just-release Orange County Register Report, the Obama Administration’s controversial Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has generated $422.4 million in application fees and allowed hundreds of thousands of people to work and study in the country legally. In the three years since the program took effect, over 650,000 young adults have been accepted into the program. Participants must renew every two years, and, to date, 243,872 people have done so.
While critics assert it is only enough to cover the costs of the program, it is clear that the Government has not lost any money on the program. In addition, the benefits to the American economy and society as a whole are indisputable. 59% of DACA recipients obtained new jobs, while 45% increased their job earnings, which converts into higher consumer purchasing power. 49% opened their first bank account and 33% obtained a credit card. Moreover, the enrollment of thousands of high school dropouts in educational programs as required by the program, boost the recipient’s ability to seek better jobs and increased earnings.
We have had an extraordinary approval rate for our DACA clients and have found that their new DACA status has bettered their lives professionally, financially, and personally. They gained an immediate new sense of confidence and felt like a true part of the American community for the first time in their lives.
