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Opinion

Happy Anniversary, DACA — Yes, It Ought to Remain in Place

August 15th marks the fifth anniversary of the immigration program for children who were brought to the USA at a tender age.

It is impossible for a child to make decisions about the course of their lives while underage and in their parent’s care. The course of a child’s life is dictated by the desires and needs of the parent.

Texas and several other states have set a September 5th deadline for the program to end, threatening a lawsuit if it is not ended.

That position is fine for those who are not happy recipients of the opportunity to stay, work and get an education in the place they consider their home.

Rosa Garcia, (not her real name and a DACA Dreamer,) when asked about the town in Mexico where her parents are from, could tell the author very little of the place.

She had never traveled there to visit, or to meet with the family members she had left behind at the age of two-years-old when she and her parents crossed illegally into the United States.

Her answer to further questions was, “I consider the United States my home. I have never known another.”

Rosa is bilingual. She is a senior at a very well placed college with good marks.

She and her parents have paid for her education, with a little help from a few scholarships and one loan, along with her living expenses and transportation.

She applied for and received an internship with a Georgia State Representative. The internship was for college credit, so she also worked another job in the Atlanta area in order to support herself.

When she returned to school, it was with high praise from her performance in Atlanta.

She has never been in any kind of legal trouble.

After graduation, Rosa is expected to take a job in her field of study and become a responsible adult with much to offer her community.

When it was time to renew her DACA permits, she went to a lawyer and the papers were timely filed.

This is the type of person America can afford to give opportunity.

Those who applied for DACA have had ample chance to prove themselves.

If those who hold these Dreamer cards can prove that they are willing to work to improve themselves, hold employment and abide by our laws respectfully, they should have a pathway of some sort to permanent residence.

If they neglect to renew when their cards expire, get in trouble with the law, join a gang or otherwise fall outside the bounds of respectability, they should not be allowed to stay in the United States.

It is doubtful that the Trump administration will worry about one more lawsuit if the program is not terminated.

The biggest need in this program is qualified counselors to investigate and administrate each case individually.

For the sake of Rosa and the many others like her, DACA should remain in place.

photo credit: Excerpt: OneAmerica IMG_1374 via photopin (license)

Share if you agree DACA ought to be part of the solution to resolve America’s illegal immigration problem.

Candace Hardin

Candace Hardin resides in Atlanta, Georgia. She is fluent in Spanish and a student of Latin and history. She is a columnist on PolitiChicks.tv. and has a blog, kandisays.blogspot.com. Originally from North Carolina, her writing and beliefs have been heavily influenced by the Appalachian culture and tradition.

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