Essential Workers Protected by DACA Ruling
Today the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that the Trump administration violated federal law by ending the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA). This policy grants law-abiding undocumented people, who were brought into America as children, a renewable two-year reprieve from deportation as well as the ability to work in the United States.
Today’s ruling ensures these protections for nearly the 700,000 documented immigrants enrolled in DACA. Enrollment is voluntary; many who fit the eligibility criteria are not enrolled, for reasons such as cost, unawareness of the policy and suspicion of the government. Altogether, nearly 1.2 million people living in the United States are DACA - eligible.
According to research from New American Economy, almost half of these DACA-eligible residents are currently employed as essential workers in the COVID-19 pandemic, serving in industries like healthcare, restaurants and food service, agriculture and construction. Beyond the pandemic, in coming years there will continue to be a demand, in these industrustries and others, for new entrants coming into the US to meet workforce needs.
This analysis supports the latest research from IEDC’s Economic Development Research Partners (EDRP). Highlights from an ongoing research project from this group found that immigrants are important to local economies in the following ways:
- Fill critical workforce needs.
Immigrants are found in jobs that require both skilled and unskilled labor. In the time of COVID-19, “immigrants are overrepresented in nearly every job that is critical during this pandemic according to the Cato Institute.
2. Boost population growth and revitalization.
As soon as 2030, immigration will account for more than half of the US Population growth, according to Census Bureau projections.
3. Drive entrepreneurship.
According to the Kauffman Foundation, immigrants are twice as likely to become entrepreneurs as native-born Americans
4. Create connections for foreign direct investment and exporting.
Immigrants create channels and connections for foreign companies to locate in communities and for U.S. businesses to secure a toehold overseas.
The Supreme Court’s ruling is not a permanent protection of DACA; the administration’s action was found to be improper on procedural - not policy - grounds. The administration could use new rationale for terminating the program, so ultimately, Congressional action would be needed to provide permanent relief to these Dreamers.