HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — On June 15, 2012, the lives of many young undocumented immigrants were changed forever. Ten years later, not much has changed.
One decade ago, the Obama administration implemented DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which gave immigrants brought into the country as children a temporary shield from deportation and a permit to legally work in the United States.
“These are people that have gone to school, they speak perfect English. They have families, they have responsibilities, right? You will not tell them apart from the US citizen, and you saw them, right”
Those that qualify are often called “Dreamers”, based on never-passed proposals in Congress called the DREAM Act, short for the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act.
Not much has changed over the last 10 years to provide “Dreamers” with a permanent solution.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have shown support to give those that qualify a path to citizenship and a permanent solution to their current status.
NBC 23 spoke to those lawmakers, law experts and “Dreamers” a Decade After DACA.
