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Daca Dreamers: What is this immigration debate all about? | |
(5 months later) | |
The White House has proposed a plan to allow 1.8 million undocumented immigrants to remain in the country and work towards citizenship. | |
President Donald Trump decided last year to scrap an Obama-era programme shielding so-called Dreamers from deportation, setting an expiry date of 5 March. | |
But he announced a new plan this week that would allow people eligible for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) to become citizens in 10-12 years. | |
Congress has a rapidly approaching 5 March deadline to reach a deal on immigration before Daca expires. | |
In exchange for making a concession in granting the Dreamers a future in the US, Mr Trump has requested billions for his border wall and cuts to legal immigration levels. | |
What is Daca? | What is Daca? |
The Daca programme affects an estimated 700,000 young people who entered the US without documents as children. Another million people were eligible but did not apply for the scheme. | |
Most of them are from Mexico and other Latin American countries. | Most of them are from Mexico and other Latin American countries. |
A 2012 executive order created by former President Barack Obama shields the so-called "Dreamers" from deportation and provides work and study permits. | A 2012 executive order created by former President Barack Obama shields the so-called "Dreamers" from deportation and provides work and study permits. |
In order to qualify for Daca, applicants under the age of 30 are required to submit personal information to the Department of Homeland Security, including addresses and phone numbers. | In order to qualify for Daca, applicants under the age of 30 are required to submit personal information to the Department of Homeland Security, including addresses and phone numbers. |
They must go through an FBI background check and have a clean criminal background, and either be in school, recently graduated or have been honourably discharged from the military. | They must go through an FBI background check and have a clean criminal background, and either be in school, recently graduated or have been honourably discharged from the military. |
In exchange, the US government agrees to "defer" any action on their immigration status for a period of two years. | In exchange, the US government agrees to "defer" any action on their immigration status for a period of two years. |
The other 'Dreamers' facing uncertain future | |
Who has to leave? | Who has to leave? |
Right now it is not clear who - if anyone- will have to leave. | Right now it is not clear who - if anyone- will have to leave. |
Mr Trump's plan was to allow those with current work permits to stay for up to two years, but bar companies from renewing those permits or issuing new ones. | Mr Trump's plan was to allow those with current work permits to stay for up to two years, but bar companies from renewing those permits or issuing new ones. |
However, Mr Trump postponed the cancellation in an effort to give Congress enough time to enact a replacement plan for Daca recipients. | |
Although the new framework may include a plan for Dreamers, Mr Trump has continued to slash immigration programmes including the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 200,000 migrants from El Salvador and the diversity green card lottery. | |
What is in Trump's plan? | |
What is the diversity green card lottery? | |
Who is for and against ending Daca? | Who is for and against ending Daca? |
Two out of three US adults back Daca, according to a recent survey. | Two out of three US adults back Daca, according to a recent survey. |
Democrats strongly support the programme, and are joined by moderate Republicans. | Democrats strongly support the programme, and are joined by moderate Republicans. |
Republicans have been unable to agree on a way forward on immigration for years, but even some of the more hard-lined conservatives back Mr Trump's latest plan. | |
"The president's framework is generous and humane, while also being responsible," Senator Tom Cotton said. | |
But many of President Trump's right-wing supporters are infuriated by the suggestion that he could ultimately protect Daca recipients. | |
Conservatives slammed it as "pathetic". Trump-allied Breitbart News called him "Amnesty Don" in a headline. | |
Ann Coulter, the author of the book In Trump We Trust, labelled it "a crap deal". | |
Although Democrats want the Dreamers to stay, they are not prepared to back Mr Trump's request for $25bn (£17.6bn) for a Mexico border wall. | |
What happens now? | What happens now? |
Congress must find a way through this impasse by 5 March. | |
To complicate matters, lawmakers must also agree a new budget by mid-February, after the issue of the Dreamers scuppered budget talks last week. | |
If the programme is dismantled, the so-called "Dreamers" would again become undocumented, losing their work permits, health insurance and in some states, their driver's licences. | If the programme is dismantled, the so-called "Dreamers" would again become undocumented, losing their work permits, health insurance and in some states, their driver's licences. |
If their protections were "enshrined into law", as announced, that could mean the resurrection of Daca or a similar programme. | If their protections were "enshrined into law", as announced, that could mean the resurrection of Daca or a similar programme. |