September 11, 2017

Last week, President Trump announced a phasing out of the DACA program by March of 2018. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, created under the Obama administration, supported hundreds of thousands of youth immigrants by allowing them a two-year work permit and avoid deportation. Congress must now pass legislation to continue the program before the March deadline.

According to the Migration Policy Institute, 343,000 Californians are currently eligible for DACA, with 114,000 more in the near future. 38,000 of DACA eligible recipients are in San Diego.

DACA recipients are a critical part of our workforce, helping businesses and economy grow and spurring future job creation. San Diego’s immigrant population also provides a powerful economic impact in terms of spending power (approximately $16 billion annually) and taxes paid ($6 billion). In order to ensure an increase in GDP, we must grow not diminish our immigrant population

Allan Zaremberg, California Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, issued a statement renewing the call for comprehensive immigration reform as it is crucial for California’s economic future: “DACA has shown us that certainty in legal status fosters success in education, employment and job creation”. With almost 800,000 workers and students enrolled in DACA in the U.S. (200,00 of which are Californians), “Congress must act swiftly to address this issue so we aren’t left with a problem of losing productive tax-paying jobs,” Zaremberg said.

Similarly, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce issued a statement in which terminating employment eligibility of DACA recipients is said to “run contrary to the President’s goal of growing the U.S. economy,” and asking Congress to find a legislative solution before the program expires

The Chamber has long supported comprehensive immigration reform The Chamber believes we can enhance our regional and national economy through a well-trained and plentiful workforce. A reduction in immigrant population also results in a smaller consumer market. Future growth of our economy depends on immigration policies which allow our businesses to hire skilled workers, investment in research, innovation, and entrepreneurship. The pending end of the DACA program highlights the critical need for immigration reform. We urge Congress to take action and pass legislation to support our economy.

Watch VP of International Business Affairs Paola Avila discussing DACA on KUSI.