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The Voice

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The Voice

Last Word: The DACA repeal is a necessary evil

      Trump’s recent decision to repeal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA), may have been his most controversial decision to date. This is unsurprising, as all human beings have a soft spot where children are involved. However, often the hardest decisions are the ones that must be made. By allowing illegal immigrants who came as children to stay in America and receive work permits and licenses, we are rewarding parents for breaking the law by providing them exactly what they hoped for. DACA stomps on the United States Constitution and immigration laws, and it was put into place with no Congressional support. While certainly not an easy decision, DACA should be repealed.

     The Trump administration has decided to give Congress six months to act and determine the fate of the Dreamers. When Trump announced that DACA was being repealed, there were provisions put into place to ensure that individuals would be treated fairly. For instance, work permits which were issued under DACA would allow Dreamers to stay until they expired, new DACA applications received by that day would be processed, and any immigrant whose status will expire by March 5, 2018 has been granted 30 days to apply for a new two-year permit (CNN). Those benefiting from DACA are thus not simply being thrown across the border.

     While it certainly is not Republican’s goals to deport children, who were here since they were babies, the age limit for DACA was set too high, causing a major concern to many conservatives. Anyone who came to America under the age of 16 were eligible for DACA, assuming they met a few other provisions. While it is only natural to follow your family over if they come to America, a fifteen-year-old is old enough to know they are breaking the law, and allowing them to stay and work in America is not the way a country should act. In addition, allowing children to benefit from their parents’ crimes only enforces the idea that if you bring your child over to America you are making the right, rather than illegal, choice.

     The Democrats mentioned that DACA does not provide citizenship to illegal immigrants. While it is true that the direct law does not, individuals benefiting from DACA are provided with multiple ways to become a citizen. Providing someone who came illegally to America with citizenship is an insult to all those who did it correctly, and it makes a mockery of America’s laws.

     While the Democrats argue that few illegal immigrants are criminals, especially ones benefiting from DACA, some disturbing cases dispute that. For instance, a DACA recipient recently decapitated his mother in Zubulon, North Carolina. In addition, 2,139 DACA recipients have lost their status due to committing serious crimes, such as felony criminal convictions.  Some of these criminals are protected though due to sanctuary cities, and will not be deported for their crimes (Brietbart News).

     A final concern regarding DACA is that many illegal immigrants have used forged papers to misrepresent when they arrived and how old they were (The Hill). Since there are strict guidelines in place regarding age and date of arrival, many immigrants have tricked the system by misrepresenting these facts. This allows those who do not truly qualify to benefit from DACA.

     DACA is a sensitive subject. Nobody, not even Donald Trump, wants to throw individuals out of this country who have been here since before they could walk. However, by shielding those who crossed the border illegally, and are now making a mockery of our laws by posting social media statuses and holding signs boasting their illegal status, is stomping on our own Constitution laws. Repealing DACA is thus the right decision for America, and I stand behind Donald Trump.

Rachelle is an Education major and the President of the Bloomsburg University College Republicans.

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