Move likely to impact 800,000 undocumented workers, including more than 20,000 Indian-Americans
With President Donald Trump’s reversal of an Obama-era executive order known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), worst fears of young immigrants seem to be coming true.
The historic move is likely to impact 800,000 undocumented workers, including more than 20,000 Indian-Americans who trusted the US government with their fingerprints and other personal information when they applied for DACA.
Most of the immigrants protected by DACA, dubbed 'Dreamers', came from Mexico and other Latin American countries.
What is DACA?
DACA The DACA programme granted the undocumented youth temporary reprieve from deportation and the ability to legally apply for a job or get admission to educational institutions.
The programme grants them a two-year reprieve that can be extended by issuing them identity papers like driver’s licences, work permit and a social security number.
However, DACA does not provide beneficiaries legal residency in US.
How could one enrol under the programme?
An immigrant was required to be at 15 years of age when applying for DACA. They were to submit proof that they were brought to the US before they turned 16 and were under 31 when the programme was launched.
The application cost was nearly $500 and permits needed to be renewed every two years. The application and renewal process took several weeks.
What about Indians living in US?
Around 20,000 people from India who arrived in the US illegally as children are fearing deportation, South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) said.
"Over 27,000 Asian-Americans, including 5,500 Indians and Pakistanis, have already received DACA. An additional estimated 17,000 individuals from India and 6,000 from Pakistan are eligible for DACA, placing India among the top ten countries for DACA eligibility," SAALT said.
With the termination of DACA, these individuals could face deportation at the discretion of the administration....read more
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