Should we give undocumented children/ students a pathway to citizenship and higher education?

For many years now, the fight of undocumented students lives has been going around. There is
about 620,000 students who live in the United States in fear, hoping for a better future. In 2012.
President Barack Obama, passed an executive action that allowed undocumented youth who
were over the age 15 to get a work permit that allowed them to work in the U.S and lowering the
risk of deportation. Unfortunately , in 2017 president Trump let DACA come to an end.

There has been a huge discussion about DACA ( Deferred Action Of Childhood Arrival). There
are many viewpoints and different ways to classify it. Some say it’s helpful to our economy and
we’re bringing in more health care workers, teachers, etc. As well as helping many students
follow their “ American Dream”. Others says it’s bringing in trouble. Such as crime, stealing
Americans jobs, and raising taxes. A lotof people don’t agree with either side, they say this is all
just ruining the mental health of many undocumented students. and bringing in risks of
deportation. Only making them live in fear.

My first viewpoint was one of the easiest to find sources about. That is DACA is helping our
economy and helping our future children. The U.S should welcome undocumented youth into
colleges and help with financial aid. As many are required to pay out of state tuition. In a survey
of 900 undergraduate undocumented students. It was found that many were wanting to move
forward with their education “we’re finding out that students are majoring in fields that are great
for our nation” ( Teranashi, 2015). About 28% of students surveyed were majoring in science,
technology, engineering or math. An area that is suffering low in qualified candidates in the U.S.
It’s very important to let students move forward. No one should be stopped or not be able to
finish the educational dreams. DACA doesn’t only help our economy but it allows young adults
to come out of their shadows, they finally feel seen and important. A study conducted by Tom
Wong in 2017, reported that 54% of DACA respondents secured their first job after obtaining a
work permit. “ Ending the program would remove an estimated 685,000 workers from the
American economy” (Santellano and Agius, 2017). This would effect the country greatly.

My second viewpoint was one of the hardest to find sources. That is DACA is only bringing in
trouble to our economy such as crime, stealing jobs, and raising taxes. “When you reward bad
behavior you get more of it” ( Wilcox, 2017). He mentions president Obama’s executive action
thousands of juveniles we’d be seeing each year turned into more tens of thousands. Not only
has the crime rates gone up but Wilcox also mentions taxapayers spend hundred of millions
annually to reunite minors with their ilegall parents. “ Money that should have gone to support
schools, hospitals, and job-training for American-youth” ( Wilcox, 2017). As Wilcox mentioned,
we shouldn't protect it as we are only rewarding bad behavior and allowing more illegal
residents to enter the U.S. While “protecting illegal aliens from the consequences of breaking
the law may make them feel good and virtuous… incentives for further law-breaking”. Wilcox's
point is we’re only letting them feel powerful, only creating more problems.
Finally my third point that is neither for or against DACA, that is DACA is only ruining the mental
health of undocumented students, increasing the risk of deportation which is only having them
live in fear. Although there are many benefits with applying for DACA, there are also many risks.
When DACA was instituted by president Obama in 2012, many eligible undocumented
immgrants jumped at the chance to apply. Others feared that this would be a way for the U.S
government to track them down for deportation. “The trump administration did, however take a
hardline with some DACA recipients” ( Gasson, 2021). Gasson also mentions when applying for
DACA residents should consider their immigration and criminal history, and the risks of giving
these details to the government. DACA also isn’t a full pathway to citizenship, and recipients
can’t freely travel. There are many downsides when applying to DACA. Downsides that are
increasing mental health of young adults. In a study conducted Elizabeth Aranda and Elizabeth
Vaquera, participants discussed chronic feeling of sadness and worry. Their mental health has
changed greatly precarious prior to DACA. Most don’t know they’re undoumented until a
caregiver told them, usually in their late adolescence. It’s sad, many have their future planned
out and finding out their undocumented affects them greatly. This disrupts them deeply and
makes them feel unsafe in a place they thought they could continue on. “ Some participants
admitted that, prior to DACA, they had thought about suicide. Feeling hopelessness because of
their undocumenetd status” ( Aranda and Vaquera, 2017. Many don’t think they have a
purpose, and think they’re going to end up in the same shoes as their parents. Why try, if I can’t
move forward? When applying to DACA, it lifted the constant everyday fear of existence in their
lives.

My opinion is leaning more towards the first viewpoint, we should welcome undocumented
students into colleges but I also agree that it’s causing mental health issues to young adults.
Every year we lose more and more workers that are helpful to our economy. We have to protect
the children growing up in our country today. Looking at what Wilcox said about taxpayers
money and how it should be going to schools and job-training to help American youth. We are
doing that. As mentioned in Teranshi’s article in my first view point. Undocumented youth are
movin forward with their education and becoming teachers, health care workers, jobs that are
better for our nation. Anyone can cause crime, many in other countries come from a rough
background. Undocumented students shouldn’t be put into the same shoes as their parents,
living in fear everyday. DACA recipients and immigrants pay as much taxes as a U.S citizen. All
of this causes mental health problems. I know from personal problems. When you find out you
can’t go into a certain field or program, you start to doubt yourself. Your motivation and
self-esteem are lower everyday. It’s hard to move forward knowing you can’t continue with your
dreams.

Work Cited

- Flores, Antoinette. “Undocumented Students Deserve Greater Access to Higher

Education.” Center for American Progress, Center For American Progress, 31 Mar.
2015,
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/undocumented-students-deserve-greater-acce
ss-to-higher-education/.
- Kohli, Sonali and Quartz. “Why U.S. Colleges Should Welcome Undocumented
Immigrants.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 2 Feb. 2015,
https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/01/why-us-colleges-should-welcome
-undocumented-immigrants/385049/.

- Wilcox, Dale. “Why Trump Must End Daca.” The Hill, The Hill Newsletter, 29 Jan. 2017,
https://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/immigration/316765-why-trump-must-end-daca/.

- Santellano, Karina, and Jody Agius. “Three Reasons to Protect DACA > Center for the
Study of Immigrant Integration (CSII) at USC > USC Dana and David Dornsife College of
Letters, Arts and Sciences.” > Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration (CSII) at
USC > USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, 30 Aug.
2017, https://dornsife.usc.edu/csii/blog-protect-daca/.

- Aranda Professor of Sociology, Elizabeth Aranda, and Elizabeth Vaquera. “How DACA
Affected the Mental Health of Undocumented Young Adults.” The Conversation, 1 Sept.
2021,
https://theconversation.com/how-daca-affected-the-mental-health-of-undocumented-you
ng-adults-83341.

- Gasson, Kristina. “Risks and Downsides of Applying for DACA.” Www.nolo.com, Nolo,
29 July
2021,https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/risks-downsides-applying-daca.html.