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United We Dream Releases Major Survey of Immigrant Youth With DACA

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United We Dream released “A Portrait of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Recipients: Challenges and Opportunities Three Years Later”, a survey first featured on Vox, of more than 1,750 immigrant youth with DACA.

In 2012, after a campaign led by immigrant youth, President Obama announced DACA, a program that currently protects more than 700,000 people from deportation and provides them 2-year, renewable work permits.

This survey is one of the largest of its kind, and it takes an in-depth look at life with DACA. The results show that DACA recipients have made great strides and are often the bedrock of economic and social support for their families. They do this while still struggling to find economic opportunities and the tools and information they need to navigate health care, workforce, financial, and educational institutions.

Among the key findings:

  • Over two-thirds of respondents help their family financially by paying rent and other bills.
  • Over 80 percent of survey respondents indicated that since DACA, they feel like they are more likely to achieve their career goals.
  • Nearly half of the respondents’ families rely on the DACA recipient for key information about immigration, healthcare, education, etc.
  • Nearly 70 percent of respondents did not have enough income to meet their monthly expenses or could just barely meet them.
  • Over 85 percent of respondents feel that they have been held back from their career goals because of their immigration status.

This is United We Dream’s second nationwide survey of immigrant youth and with its release, UWD is launching an ongoing research initiative on the lives and needs of immigrant youth and families.

United We Dream is the largest immigrant youth-led organization in the nation, a powerful nonpartisan network made up of 55 local groups in 26 states. UWD organizes and advocates for the dignity and fair treatment of immigrant youth and families, regardless of immigration status. UWD seeks to address the inequities and obstacles faced by immigrant youth and believes that by empowering immigrant youth, it can advance the cause of the entire community—justice for all immigrants.

Learn more about UWD at www.unitedwedream.org.

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