When the Trump administration announced in September 2017 that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was ending, it sent a substantial jolt across the U.S. labor market. Surveys show that the overwhelming majority of DACA recipients are employed, and many play a key role in filling middle skill positions in the American economy. Estimates suggest that ending DACA will cause a loss of $460 billion to the national GDP over the next decade.
Since its inception in 2012, the DACA program has provided nearly 800,000 young immigrants with temporary protection from deportation and 2-year renewable work permits. To obtain DACA, individuals had to meet a range of requirements, including having a high-school diploma or equivalent, or being enrolled in school.
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