The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, established by former President Barack Obama in 2012, has allowed nearly a million illegal aliens to avoid deportation from the United States. Federal records reveal that 68,000 illegal aliens with prior arrest records were granted DACA as of October 2019, while fewer than 30,000 were denied or had their status terminated.
During a recent Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Center for Immigration Studies Director of Policy Jessica Vaughan warned lawmakers against passing amnesty for the approximately 800,000 illegal aliens enrolled in DACA today. Vaughan expressed concerns about the lack of rigor in the vetting process, citing lenient eligibility criteria and “lite and lean” background checks that allowed many individuals with criminal histories to obtain DACA.
According to a USCIS report, about 12% of DACA applicants had arrest records, including assault, battery, rape, murder, and driving under the influence, and 85% of those applicants were approved. In a disturbing example, DACA illegal alien Luis Perez of Mexico was sentenced to five consecutive life sentences for murdering three individuals.
Another case involved Francisco Javier Rios-Covarrubias of Mexico, who was sentenced to 35 years for brutally terrorizing and sexually abusing a three-year-old girl in Arizona.
President Biden has called for congressional action to provide permanent and lasting stability for DREAMers, while Alejandro Mayorkas, who oversaw the program during the Obama administration, urged Congress to pass a DACA amnesty. Mayorkas and other advocates will continue to support and defend DREAMers until Congress acts.
