As elected Republicans continue effort to kill DACA, most Americans support continuing program


Gabe Ortiz
Daily Kos Staff
Friday October 28, 2022 · 

Oscar Barrera-Gonzalez (L) receives help from volunteer Ivan Corpeno in filing his application for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program at Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles on Aug. 15, 2012, in Los Angeles, California.

Republicans’ efforts to kill the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and deport young undocumented immigrants overwhelmingly fly in the face of public opinion. New Data for Progress polling shows that voters support continuing the popular and successful policy by a nearly 30-point margin, 58%-31%.

Support is strongest among Democrats, at 79%, followed by independents, at 58%. “Though a slight majority of Republicans oppose continuing DACA, 37 percent support keeping it in place,” Data for Progress said. Elected Republicans led by very corrupt Texas attorney general Ken Paxton have been steadily working to end the successful and popular immigration program through the courts. Currently, no new applications are being accepted.

“Though DACA is a critical program for young immigrants, it is only a temporary solution,” Data for Progress said. Its polling shows that voters also strongly support permanent relief.

RELATED STORY: Thousands of teachers could be pushed out of their jobs due to GOP litigation seeking to end DACA

“Meanwhile, the American Dream and Promise Act, passed by the House of Representatives in 2021, would provide a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers,” Data for Progress said. “By a +32-point margin, voters back a policy to provide DACA recipients the opportunity to gain U.S. citizenship.”

Support is strongest from Democrats, again at 79%. Support from independents ticks slightly up from DACA, at 59%. Support from Republicans also goes up, to 43% compared to DACA’s 37%.

“Protecting Dreamers is also politically popular. A plurality of voters (47 percent), including 57 percent of Latina/o voters, say they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who supports a path to citizenship for DACA recipients. Only 29 percent of voters say this would make them less likely to vote for that candidate, while 24 percent state it would not impact their decision.”

A second poll that was conducted by Democratic and Republican firms and released by immigration reform advocacy group FWD.us this week also shows strong support for a package that pairs permanent protections for DACA recipients with border security. “By a 50-point margin, voters support the proposed legislation (71% support / 21% oppose) with a plurality (45%) strongly supporting.” What that “border security” would look like when the number of border agents has already doubled from 2003 is unclear, and could hurt border communities affected by border militarization even more.

But following a conservative appeals court ruling that sent the DACA case back to anti-immigrant Texas judge Andrew Hanen, affected individuals said lawmakers must do their jobs and come together to figure out and pass legislative relief by year’s end.

“Right now, Congress needs to cut a bi-partisan deal and pass immigration legislation in 2022, that means averting the weekly loss of 5,000 work authorizations from DACA recipients over the next two years should the program be terminated,” DACA recipients Erika Andiola and Astrid Silva wrote at Univision. “Congressional staffers should the Fifth Circuit ruling as a wake-up call and ensure their bosses (whether they’re seeking re-election or not) do not waste any (and perhaps the only) opportunity to pass immigration legislation—including the upcoming lame duck session of Congress.”

Among the thousands of DACA beneficiaries who will lose their relief every week when Republicans end DACA through the courts and if Congress doesn’t act are 9,000 educators. Republicans are trying to force thousands of teachers out of their jobs as the nation also faces a teacher shortage.

Maria Rocha has taught students pre-K through sixth grade and worked as a nanny and housekeeper before becoming an educator. She told Bloomberg that she “saw the lack of teachers that looked like me, that were from my community, that related to the students. There’s a science behind teaching. I’m fascinated with teaching kids how to say thank you, how to blow your nose, how to start reading.”