The American Dream Applies to Everyone: Our Statement on DACA
•Opportunity Nation and our Coalition of more than 350 member organizations are working to restore the promise of the American Dream by ensuring that everyone – regardless of where they were born – has an equal opportunity to succeed.
There are currently more than 750,000 young undocumented immigrants in the United States who have applied for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). With DACA, these young people — referred to as Dreamers — have the ability to pursue employment and education opportunities and become integral parts of their communities across the country. Aside from personal costs, repealing DACA would have economic consequences that could be devastating to our nation.
Dreamers are a source of talent for businesses and their cultures enrich our communities. A recent survey of DACA recipients by United We Dream, the National Immigration Law Center and the Center for American Progress found that 91 percent of Dreamers are employed, and 45 percent are currently in school with 72 percent pursuing a bachelor’s degree or higher. If DACA is repealed, CATO estimates an economic cost of $200 billion in the next decade and $60 billion in lost tax revenue.
We urge our leaders at the local, state and federal levels to continue to see America as a land of opportunity and to work together on bipartisan legislation that will allow Dreamers to continue on their path towards achieving the American Dream.
Opportunity Nation
Opportunity Nation is a bipartisan, national campaign comprised of more than 350 cross-sector organizations working together to expand economic mobility and close the opportunity gap in America. Opportunity Nation envisions the United States as a nation where everyone – regardless of where they were born – has equal access to opportunity, economic mobility, and success at all stages of life.
