DACA is Good for the Economy: Affirmative Argument

What are the benefits of DACA? Attorney General Jeff Sessions claimed that the DACA program is pushing Americans out of work. Opponents of DACA contend that legalization will come at a cost to U.S.-born workers. They claim that U.S.-born workers’ well-beings should be prioritized. However, immigrants are not taking the jobs of Americans. The University of Chicago did a poll on immigration, and 95% of economists who answered thought that the average American would be better off with more immigrants in the country. Immigration has a variety of positive effects, such as innovation, lowering the price of goods and services, increasing the number of jobs, increasing government finances, and increasing wages. Immigration boosts employment because immigrants are both workers and consumers. DACA recipients are buying cars, purchasing their own homes, and creating businesses. They are equally contributing to the economy as much as U.S. citizens do.

Studies have shown that undocumented youths who make it to college are more motivated and academically prepared compared with their U.S.-born peers. They have a higher rate of graduating college and contributing to the labor force afterwards. Usually, this motivation comes from struggles that they had to overcome to attend college in the first place. Being under a protected status, such as DACA, improves their mental health by removing the looming threat of arrest and deportation. This helps create a healthier and more productive workforce.

DACA offers an opportunity to enact a permanent resolution for a group widely supported by the public. Data has shown that DACA has not only improved the lives of undocumented young people, but also has positively affected the economy, which benefits all Americans. The estimated loss of GDP that the U.S. stands to lose, should DACA recipients, be deported from the country is $460 billion. The country cannot afford this great loss! Immigrants make America great.