For Dreamer college students, the Supreme Court’s upcoming decision on DACA could trigger a “public health crisis,” according to a 2017 study. The court will issue a final ruling on the Trump administration’s efforts to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) early this year. DACA provides a temporary status that shields Dreamers from deportation and allows them to work for two years and is renewable, but it does not provide a path to citizenship. Many Dreamers are enrolled in universities and colleges across the country and studying to become doctors, lawyers and other professionals.
USA Today reports,
A 2009 study found the threat of deportation or detention can cause long-term stress that seriously affects brain development. A 2017 study, published shortly after President Donald Trump announced he would end DACA, found the program actually alleviated many of the stressors young undocumented people were feeling.
The 2017 research study by the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine said that ending DACA could have dire public health consequences. A Penn Medicine researcher predicts reduced mental health for 800,000 DACA beneficiaries plus their families if legislation fails to save the program.
Chicago immigration lawyer Mario Godoy says DACA recipients deserve an opportunity to remain and build a life in the United States:
Young adults who have lived their entire lives and been educated in the United States – Dreamers – are in immigration limbo. They deserve clarity and the opportunity to make their lives in the United States without being in the shadows. This shouldn’t be a Democrat or Republican issue – this is an American issue.
If the court sides with the Trump administration and rules that the program is illegal, most DACA recipients will keep the current two-year protection that is in place until President Donald Trump or his Democratic successor takes the oath of office in January 2021.
Godoy Law Office is an established immigration law firm in Chicago and Lombard with DACA attorneys who are ready to help you interpret the law as it applies in your case and apply for deferred action if you are eligible. Contact us online or call today at 855-554-6369.
