DACA hits 11 year milestone

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) hit an 11-year milestone on Thursday.

Applications, paying taxes, and filing fees, dreamers and DACA recipients have yet to see any real progress through the program, according to Arizona Immigration Attorney Kelsey Zubkoff.

“We are a country built on immigration, so remember that we’re literally a melting pot here in America,” stated Zubkoff. 

DACA provided young people with legal authorization to be in the country and work without the threat of being deported. 

Over the years challenges have riddled the program and even stalled progress for DACA recipients. 

On the 11th anniversary of DACA, President Biden has called on Congress to take steps to cement long-term protections for “dreamers” through immigration reform. 

Zubkoff, who offers services in Yuma said, for there to be major progress, both sides of the aisle need to work together.

“It’s awesome but also sad because it has not been any movement towards a pathway to citizenship for the dreamers that are daca recipients, so it was awesome it was incepted and created by President Obama but there's still not enough being done for DACA in my opinion," explained Zubkoff.

Congress has not been able to come to a deal for many years.

Arizona has 36,000 DACA-eligible residents and California has a whopping 253,000 DACA-eligible residents.

Those large numbers could result in long-term economic impact according to Zubkoff.

“DACA recipients they're paying their taxes, they have zero criminal histories. I just think that they should be a better way to citizenship and I hope that there is something passed one day, because it will boost our economy," stated Zubkoff.

There could be another legal ruling on the DACA program soon.