Benefits of DACA to Fresno County

The benefits of DACA to Fresno County are numerous and undeniable. Ever since the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was announced by the Obama administration on June 15, 2012, we began to see the impact of this decision on young immigrants residing in Fresno County and other parts of the Central Valley.

What is DACA?

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program (DACA) was announced by the Barack Obama administration on June 15, 2012. It is an executive decision, not a law. DACA was rescinded by President Donald Trump on September 5, 2017.

DACA was designed to benefit undocumented immigrants who arrived to the United States as minors. It offered three major benefits and also required meeting seven basic requirements in order to qualify.

The three basic benefits of DACA were:

• Protection from deportation for a period of two years (renewable)
• A valid work permit (renewable)
• A valid social security number

In addition, under some circumstances, DACA beneficiaries were allowed to obtain advanced parole and travel abroad to study, for work related reasons or for family emergencies.

In order to qualify for DACA, applicants had to meet the following criteria:

• Were under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012;
• Came to the United States before reaching the 16th birthday;
• Had continuously resided in the United States since June 15, 2007, up to the time application was filed;
• Were physically present in the United States on June 15, 2012, and at the time of making the request for consideration of deferred action with USCIS;
• Entered without inspection before June 15, 2012, or the lawful immigration status expired as of June 15, 2012;
• Were currently in school, had graduated or obtained a certificate of completion from high school, had obtained a general education development (GED) certificate, or was an honorably discharged veteran of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States; and
• Had not been convicted of a felony, significant misdemeanor, three or more other misdemeanors, and did not otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety.

Applying for DACA involved paying application fee of $465 in 2012.

DACA in Fresno and Central Valley Counties

An initial estimate from Migration Policy Institute calculated that there were some 10,000 Fresno County residents potentially eligible for DACA. A subsequent document produced in conjunction with GCIR in 2014 indicated the number was 11,000. 2015 MPI estimates for Central Valley counties were as follows:

• Fresno: 11,000
• Kern: 8,000
• Kings: 2,000
• Madera: 2,000
• Merced: 3,000
• Stanislaus: 5,000
• Tulare: 6,000

In a subsequent 2016 report, MPI estimated that the potentially eligible DACA population was 18,000 in Fresno County, 15,000 in Kern County, 11,000 in San Joaquin County, 11,000 in Tulare County, 8,000 in Stanislaus County, 6,000 in Merced County, and 3,000 in Kings County.

The University of Southern California’s Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration, for its part, offers estimates of DACA eligible immigrants by congressional district. The data set includes number of eligible immigrants, estimated number of actual recipients, and the economic impact if DACA workers were removed. The benefits of DACA to Fresno County and other parts of the Central Valley are thus not just numerical but also economic, as evidenced by the estimated loss in GDP if DACA workers were removed. The three congressional districts that include parts of Fresno and nearby counties are as follows:

California’s 16th Congressional District
Representative: Jim Costa (D)

Total DACA recipients: 6,700
Total DACA eligible: 10,900

Annual GDP loss from removing DACA workers: $363,900,000

California’s 21st Congressional District
Representative: David Valadao (R)

Total DACA recipients: 7,400
Total DACA eligible: 11,700

Annual GDP loss from removing DACA workers: $404,700,000

California’s 22nd Congressional District
Representative: Devin Nunes (R)

Total DACA recipients: 5,000
Total DACA eligible: 7,700

Annual GDP loss from removing DACA workers: $273,800,000

Sources:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiQ59fOyKvYAhWK7YMKHbn3DbUQFggpMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.migrationpolicy.org%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fdatahub%2FCounty-DACA-DAPA-Estimates-Spreadsheet-FINAL.xlsx&usg=AOvVaw0vevG9divACtmRyL7kqqaR

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiQ59fOyKvYAhWK7YMKHbn3DbUQFgg2MAM&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.migrationpolicy.org%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fdatahub%2FDACA-DAPA-2013State%2520Estimates-Spreadsheet-FINAL.xlsx&usg=AOvVaw21Q7g4mokaz-oR-K80Xp0-

Click to access MPI%20Randy%20Capps%20PPT%20county-level%20data%20Updated.pdf