Published on 12:48 AM, September 07, 2017

WHAT HAPPENS TO 'DREAMERS'?

Young immigrants, activists and supporters of the DACA program march through downtown Los Angeles, California on Tuesday after the Trump administration formally announced it will end the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program, giving Congress six months to act. Photo: AFP

The Trump administration on Tuesday ordered the end of the "Dreamers" program that allowed illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children to remain in the country. That move threatens the futures of some 800,000 people, many now in schools, with jobs and families in the United States.

WHAT IS THE 'DREAMERS' PROGRAM?

In a presidential order in June 2012, president Barack Obama launched DACA -- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals -- that aimed to provide a stable future for people who arrived in the country illegally as children and stayed. Dubbed "Dreamers", they were granted under presidential order the right to remain and study or work legally, renewing their status regularly.

WHY END DACA?

Trump argued that DACA protected people who broke US laws, was unfair to legal immigrants, and encroached Congress's power to make immigration laws. The government also argued that legal challenges by a number of states made DACA and a 2014 sister program, DAPA, untenable.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN NOW?

Encouraged by Obama's move, about 800,000 people registered under DACA, confident that they would be safe from expulsion. Now the government has access to all their personal data, making it hard for most to hide. About 200,000 of them will see their resident permits expire by the end of 2017. Another 275,000 expire in 2018, and the rest between January and August 2019. Under Trump's order, those with permits are safe until their expiry. People with permits that expire within the next six months -- before March 5, 2018 -- can apply to renew them before October 5. But new applications will not be accepted. Once their DACA permits expire, individuals will not have the legal right to work, and theoretically could be deported any time -- though current policy only threatens illegal immigrants who have committed serious crimes.

The White House has indicated that the six month grace period gives Congress an opportunity, if it wants, to come up with legislation that could replace DACA and strengthen its legal foundations.

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