In the first five years of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, established to protect undocumented minors from deportation, some 79,000 people were found to have arrest records upon being admitted into the United States, the New York Post reported.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released data showing that the majority of them were between ages 19 and 22 at the time of their arrests.
President Joe Biden recently announced an expansion of deportation protections and employment opportunities for DACA recipients, a program originally initiated by former President Barack Obama through executive order in 2012. DACA eligibility is based on several criteria, such as being brought into the U.S. before the age of 16 and being younger than 31 before June 15, 2012.
The Biden administration is also set to give some DACA recipients access to federal health insurance, impacting 100,000 people, the White House announced ahead of the elections. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) confirmed they can enroll in health programs under the Affordable Care Act.
Despite ongoing legal challenges, with a federal judge twice deeming DACA illegal, supporters advocate for the citizenship of DACA recipients, emphasizing their contributions to the U.S. economy and society. However, critics argue that people with criminal backgrounds, at the very least, should face deportation.
According to USCIS reports, nearly 80,000 illegal foreign nationals with prior arrest records, some for violent offenses, were granted DACA status between June 2012 and October 2019. Of the 888,818 DACA applicants, 765,166 were approved, with around 10.38% having arrest records.
Statistics show that 67,861 applicants were either approved or denied with a prior arrest, while 15,903 who were approved later faced arrest. The report highlights various crimes, with a significant number of arrests related to driving offenses, immigration violations, theft, drugs, and violent crimes.
On the other hand, DACA applicants who had an arrest record (30,132), previous arrest (28,093), or subsequent arrest (5,017) were not granted the status.
The report reveals that 41 individuals granted DACA status had been arrested over 10 times, with thousands more arrested multiple times. The majority of arrests were mainly among individuals ages 19 to 26 who were from Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Brazil, and Peru.
The highest number of arrests and DACA requesters by their last known residency were concentrated in California, Texas, and Illinois.
According to USCIS guidelines, DACA does not extend to those convicted of felonies, significant misdemeanors, repeated misdemeanors, or those posing national security or public safety risks.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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