Immigration is in the news again. This time nine states, headed up by Texas, are suing the federal government to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program immediately. This action hangs over the heads of over 600,000 DACA recipients across the country, including just shy of 3,000 here in Idaho.
A couple of things I think that people should know about the DACA program. In order to qualify for the program the immigrant must have come to this country at a very young age. Only qualified individuals receive the deferred status. Often, though the DACA recipient may be able to get a work permit, other members of their family are still unable to. DACA recipients must be educated, must work and pay taxes and even minor criminal offenses will jeopardize their status. DACA recipients are not eligible for most federal assistance programs, including student loans or government health insurance programs.
Something else many do not realize: When a DACA recipient marries a U.S. citizen, they do not automatically become a citizen. That only happens in movies. In reality, under the current laws, it is nearly impossible for them to get citizenship even if they are married to a U.S. citizen and have children. Absent congressional action, it is likely that these families may ultimately be split up.
Beyond the individuals, we should also consider the positive impact that DACA recipients have on the Idaho economy. The American Immigration Council estimates that DACA recipients alone contribute $5.4 million dollars annually in state and local taxes in Idaho. It is not just the DACA recipients that contribute to our economy. Idaho agricultural businesses, especially our dairy industry, rely on migrant labor. And, in the case of the dairy industry, they do not just need temporary help in the summer months. They need skilled agricultural labor year-round. Our current guest worker programs limit the amount of time a worker can stay. This means that farmers and ranchers are constantly training and recruiting new workers instead of just hiring the workers they have already trained long-term.
Our system is not working. It does not work for the immigrants, it does not work for farmers, it does not work for our state and it is certainly not working for our country as a whole. During the campaign, Sen. Crapo often touted his Farmworker Modernization Bill which would have gone a long way to ease at least some of the problems Idaho farmers and ranchers face. Yet once he secured his Senate seat, he quickly walked back his support, essentially killing the reforms and leaving Idaho agriculture high and dry.
We need actual action on immigration, not just empty talk to score political points.
David Roth is a non-profit leader in Idaho Falls, a member of the Bonneville County Democratic Central Committee and a former nominee to the United States Senate.