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Association for Political and Legal Anthropology
Volunteered - Oral Presentation Session
Rachel Kingsley
Graduate Student
Oregon State University
On September 5, 2017, President Trump announced the ending to the DACA program, which has protected close to 800,000 undocumented young adults since its implementation. The DACA program has become a topic of contention between Republicans and Democrats in Congress, with Democrats arguing the validity of the program and Republicans frequently questioning the constitutionality of the executive order that was issued by President Obama to create the DACA program. Although it has been over a year since President Trump announced the end of DACA, there is still uncertainty in the program’s future. Three federal judges in various districts across the United States have temporarily blocked the government from ending the DACA program and ordered that renewals under the program should continue while the cases are being heard in court (Everett and Shor 2018). In November of 2018, a federal appeals court upheld a ruling blocking the Trump administration from ending DACA. However, it is likely the fight for the legitimacy and constitutionality of the program will be heard in the Supreme Court, where there is a majority of Republican appointed judges, something President Trump has stated is “good news” (deVouge et al, 2018). DACAmented individuals are waiting anxiously in limbo to find out what will happen to the program and their statuses. This project examines the ways in which DACAmented individuals experience uncertainty and fear for their futures in a changing social and political landscape by examining their interpersonal relationships, wellbeing, education, and plans for the future.