Dear Future President,

As a daughter of immigrant parents, I have found the importance of supporting and advocating for immigrant children whose chances of succeeding in United States are low due to the lack of immigration policy. Did you know that in the last 4 years about 700,000 immigrant children were protected from deportation because of DACA? Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), has been a program helping thousands of undocumented children from all around the world to make their American dream come true. Current president, Barack Obama, has deported about 2 million immigrants since the program of DACA began. Vox policy and politics say that since the program began in 2012 it has then protected over 700,000 immigrant children from deportation. Without DACA, children and parents will have the fear of one day being deported. At the moment DACA is on hold for renewal, due to the fact that the supreme court’s ruled votes were even (4-4), leaving it up to you, the next president to decide whether the program can continued or if it no longer will exist. So our only solution for this Nation is to have you, the next president sign Obama’s executive order for it to be passed. You are the only one that has the power to not only control everything in this country but to change the future of immigrant children for the better good.

Since the program began about 700,000 immigrant children have been secured with social security cards along with a working visas while in the United States. Those with and without DACA are also eligible for a driver's licence. With DACA, students are able to continue school and pursue their dreams without having the constant fear of being separated from their families. Students who continue with school make more jobs as we discover new things within our country. These are just some of the good benefits in having DACA, so taking it away for those who need it the most to succeed in the United States is devastating. For in the future, we are set to help at about 4.5 million immigrants through DACA. Being the next president means that all these immigrant children depend on you to help them achieve higher education or to be the next entrepreneur.

DACA will hopefully become the road to achieving a legal status as a Permanent Resident or even a fellow citizen. DACA proposes a better future not only for the children but their family and community. Those who get DACA are also allowed to get a working permit so they can create an income for family members who don’t have a legal status or that cannot have the opportunity to work. DACA is helpful to both the person and the economy of the United States as immigrants are a big part of the American workforce.

If DACA were to no longer exist, it would not only affect those who use DACA in order to live in the United States, but it will also affect our economy. If DACA does not get signed then there will be a significant low rate of students attending schools in the U.S. both K-12 and higher education. That means 13,000 students not attending school if Obama’s executive order, DACA, is vetoed down by you. According to Silva Mathena in “American Progress”, in the next 10 years, DACA will be able to produce 230 billion dollars for the U.S. With those 230 billion dollars contributed by immigrants, things such as education, public places, public workers, etc. will receive bigger budgets to help the general population.

If DACA does pass, some counteracting actions could lead to negative views on immigrants that can cause militarization around the border or more reinforcement. There will be a mass increase of population in the U.S., which could be good as it can result in an increase of the economy. As of right now 1.1 million children under the age of 18 live in the United States, and about 11.2 million undocumented people live in the U.S without DACA. Imagine if this program could continue on for years enabling millions of immigrants to be both a part of the American economy and culture.

In conclusion, DACA has made the United States run much more successfully by improving the lives of immigrant children. If we continue to have DACA we can see the more positive sides it offers. So I request that you, as the next president of the United States, listen to your audience and what they request. Helping those who are immigrants just like centuries ago when immigrants first came to America, in search of acceptance and hopes of achieving their dreams.

Sincerely,

Paola Amezcua, Grade 11

Napa, California