(ProsperNews.net) – Former President Barack Obama took to social media to mark 12 years since he introduced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program or DACA. On Twitter, Obama wrote that the scheme gave a pathway to citizenship to “Dreamers,” many of whom are now grown and “serving their communities” as doctors, lawyers, and teachers while raising their own children.
Obama praised President Biden for making it easier for DACA recipients to access healthcare and other essential services, but he added that Congress must act to ensure DACA migrants’ security. He urged lawmakers to create an immigration system that is “fairer, more efficient, and more just.”
Introduced on June 15, 2012, DACA protects children brought to the US illegally from the prospect of deportation. Obama created the initiative by executive order, prompting outrage from Republicans who said he had overstepped his authority and only Congress can legislate on migration.
In 2022, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a “final rule” on DACA to reinforce and expand its remit, including allowing access to federal programs. A US District Court for the Southern District of Texas found the final rule unlawful and placed a freeze on new DACA applications while continuing to allow renewals.
The federal government appealed that decision at the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and in October 2022, this court agreed with the 2021 decision. The government appealed again, and the case is currently under litigation.
On Twitter, President Obama received a mixed response to his request that DACA recipients be made more secure. Several people replied saying DACA immigrants should face deportation because their parents “abused” American immigration laws. Others accused the former President of surpassing his power and violating his oath to protect the Constitution by prioritizing migrants over American citizens.
One Twitter user blamed Obama for setting in motion the mass influx of illegal migration plaguing America’s southern border. “You, sir, are the root cause of most of the problems this country faces today,” the tweeter wrote.
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