DACA Definitely Did Not Cause the Child Migrant Crisis

Senators Dick Durbin and Lindsey Graham have introduced a bill to extend the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which since 2012 has provided work permits and lawful presence to 800,000 young immigrants brought illegally to the United States as children. One difficulty for the bill is that the GOP House passed a bill to end DACA in 2014, arguing that DACA caused a surge of young children to come to the border starting in 2012 and reaching its peak in 2014.At the time, my colleague Alex Nowrasteh published an article arguing against this thesis. First, he noted that DACA specifically prohibited recent arrivals from applying for the benefits. DACA applicants had to be under the age of 31, have arrived in the United States before they were the age of 16, and have continuously resided in the United States since June 15, 2007. Second, Nowrasteh explained that the surge began well before DACA was unexpectedly announced on June 15, 2012. He wrote:From October 2011 through March 2012, there was a93 percent increase in UAC arrivals over the same period in Fiscal Year 2011.  Texas Governor Rick Perrywarned President Obama about the rapid increase in UAC at the border in early May 2012 – more than a full month before DACA was announced.  Inearly June 2012, Mexico was detaining twice as many Central American children as in 2011.  The surge in unaccompanied children (UAC) began before DACA was announced.As the bill was being debated on the House floor, Rep. Zoe Lo...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs