2020 DACA Communications Toolkit

Key Message Points:

President Trump’s decision to end DACA not only pulled the rug out from under Dreamers, it ran contrary to our American values of embracing diversity and ensuring opportunity for everyone who works hard and plays by the rules.

Multiple lower courts recognized the harm the President would have caused to communities across the country when they deemed his reckless decision illegal.

DACA protects hundreds of thousands of hardworking people – including innovators at top companies, nurses and doctors supporting the health of our communities, and teachers educating our children. Many of these hardworking people are currently serving on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic and many are CCC alumni or students.

Dreamers are on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19; they are essential workers in our hospitals, grocery stores, fields, supply chains, and so much more. Despite the uncertainty, they’re still giving back to the only country many of them have ever called home.

The President and his allies have been given every opportunity to make a responsible decision about the future of DACA; instead, they failed to act on legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives to create a pathway to citizenship and defended their flawed and heartless decision all the way up to the Supreme Court.

We met this challenge every step of the way and we’re not going to back down now. This fight has, once again, shown how urgent it is that we find a permanent fix.

The California Community Colleges, alongside many concerned partners (from non-profit groups and unions, to top companies and universities), remains committed to fighting for Dreamers and supporting them in any way possible.

Sample Statements from College President:

“This disappointing decision from the Supreme Court will restrict access to higher education for some of the best and brightest potential students in the United States. Our nation has consistently invested in Dreamers and this decision undermines the ability of our nation to fully reap and benefit from these educational investments. My heart goes out to DACA recipients and their families. We will continue to fight for Dreamers and call on Congress to pass permanent protections immediately and on the administration to defer the deportation of current and former DACA recipients.”

“DACA opened up educational pathways for our students and for many others across the country through access to admissions, in-state tuition and financial aid. California Community College DACA recipients contribute to and shape our campus culture and identity. Now, their potential and that of so many others are at risk, even as we need their talents now and hard work today more than ever, particularly for the 200,000 DACA recipients working in critical industries, such as healthcare and STEM fields. We will continue to support these dedicated students and aspiring Americans.

“The dual possibility of job loss and threat of deportation will make it significantly harder for DACA recipients to enter and complete higher education. Concurrently, the loss of DACA introduces questions regarding food insecurity, access to health care, and the ability of individuals to meet their basic needs. At the same time, there are more than 256,000 U.S. citizens who have one or more parent(s) with DACA, and this decision threatens their continued well-being, health and economic security. The end of DACA will have repercussions that will have collateral, non-immigration consequences to our students and their families. We call on Congress to pass permanent protections immediately.”

“We are very disappointed by the Supreme Court’s decision today. We urge the administration to halt deportations immediately to protect our students with DACA. In the midst of a global pandemic, it is more important than ever that we equip students with the tools they need to contribute to public health efforts. Approximately 29,000 DACA recipients are currently working in healthcare, fighting against COVID-19, and we must support these individuals in this ongoing battle. We ask Congress to pass a permanent fix now.”

Key Stats:

• Nearly 1.5 million people share a home with a DACA recipient, including more than 250,000 children born in the United States (Source).
• Currently, there are nearly 650,000 DACA recipients residing across the country. They live in every state, as well as the District of Columbia, Guam, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and on military bases (Source).
• Approximately 29,000 healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, dentists, physician assistants, and pharmacists, rely on DACA protections to be able to provide critical care to communities across the country (Source).
• DACA recipients are part of the front-line response to COVID-19 with roughly one-third working in essential services such as healthcare, transportation, warehousing, supermarkets, manufacturing, waste management, and more (Source).
• Polling consistently shows that DACA enjoys overwhelming popular support (Source).
• Since our coalition secured a preliminary injunction in January of 2018, there have been more than 712,000 DACA renewals (Source).
• DACA recipients and their families pay approximately $5.7 billion in federal taxes and $3.1 billion in state and local taxes — that’s nearly $9 billion that support communities across America (Source).
• The average length of time a DACA recipient has lived in the United States is 20 years (Source).
• Ending DACA would risk up to $460.3 billion in losses to the American economy over the next decade (Source).
• DACA is consistent with dozens of similar policies that have been adopted by almost every administration over the last 60 years (Source).
• The California Community Colleges serves up to 70,000 undocumented students, some of which are DACA recipients.
• Information on the number of DACA recipients in your state is available here.