What’s Happening with DACA Recipients in the US?

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Abigail is July 10, 2018

On September 5, 2017, President Donald Trump announced that he would be ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. He gave Congress a deadline for coming to a decisi

Entrepreneurs fostering new ventures outside of well-developed entrepreneurial ecosystems like Silicon Valley face significant challenges. These markets are unlike Silicon Valley, and they will likely remain so. That doesn't mean they can't nurture and sustain new businesses. In transitioning markets that lack abundant private sector financing, creative approaches from government officials, donors, and business leaders can fill the void to support entrepreneurial activity. Northeast Ohio (where Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University are located) has become a laboratory for such innovative solutions. During our time together in this course, we will explore some of these creative approaches to promoting regional entrepreneurship. Northeast Ohio has seen a massive infusion of government and donor resources for over ten years. In that time, Northeast Ohio has promoted regional development (including job creation and follow-on funding) through alternative methods of financing startups. It has not been easy. The region has made progress, but it remains to be seen whether it has struck upon an enduring formula. A dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem takes many years, even decades, to develop. Government policymakers and donors typically seek quicker returns on their support programs, which makes long-term support for entrepreneurship challenging. This course includes case studies and first-person testimonials from entrepreneurs who have launched products and services ranging from medical devices to LED lights to whiskey. You will learn how these entrepreneurs discovered and procured resources from various programs and intermediary organizations. You will hear from business people still in the process of developing their companies as well as those whose ventures have flourished. Our focus will extend beyond Cleveland to selected markets around the world, including Greece, Vietnam, Tunisia, Argentina, Rwanda and China. You will learn about international incentives and other supports available to developing startups and small businesses across the globe. This course examines how different communities around the world approach implementing strategies and methods to support businesses. I will ask you to reflect on how to apply the principles we learn to growing entrepreneurship where you live. The social interactive features of the online platform will enable students from around the world to share ideas and learn from one another. Most MOOCs rebroadcast professors’ lectures; this course is different. Don’t expect to see me standing in front of the camera, talking and lecturing every module. Instead, the lectures will be relatively short in length. They have more of the feel of an engaging documentary than a static classroom setting. ## __What type of person takes the *Beyond Silicon Valley* course?__ - Active and aspiring businesspeople in communities looking to initiate new startup ecosystems or bolster existing ones - Current and prospective entrepreneurs who want to learn about funding sources, risk management, and the lifecycle of startups - Professionals who work in government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, philanthropic institutions, and various private funds that fund startups - Anyone curious about how to create and grow startup ecosystems outside the major tech hubs - The principles Beyond Silicon Valley teaches have been drawn from and applied to startups worldwide, from small villages to megalopolises. You'll study success stories spanning the globe from Vietnam to Kosovo to Botswana. ## __What will you learn in *Beyond Silicon Valley*?__ - How and where startups can find funding to get their businesses off the ground - What role government can play in encouraging startups and a healthy startup ecosystem - How anchor institutions such as universities and healthcare systems participate in startup ecosystems - How nongovernmental organizations support startups - How to raise funds from venture capitalists, angel investors, and accelerators - How to navigate challenging periods in the startup lifecycle - The importance of mentoring in successful startups

In this course, participants learn core principles, concepts, and methods of continuous improvement and explore the history of continuous improvement efforts. In a series of lectures, Master Black Belt in Six Sigma Shane Wentz, Ph.D., enables learners to enhance, optimize, and stabilize business processes and to augment quality control through varied methodologies. Participants gain the skills and knowledge to reimagine internal processes, engage in advanced problem-solving, and empower employees. The course covers high-level foundational principles of Lean, Six Sigma, and DMAIC processes before diving deep into Lean Six Sigma methods. Learners will analyze the tools of process mapping, Kaizen (a continuous improvement method/tool deemed a prerequisite for Lean transformation success), Lean (a continuous improvement philosophy that emphasizes streamlined workflows and reducing waste), and the process improvement methodology driving DMAIC: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control.

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On September 5, 2017, President Donald Trump announced that he would be ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. He gave Congress a deadline for coming to a decision on immigration reform, including the status of DACA recipients (often referred to as “Dreamers"). President Trump told Congress they must enact legislation by March 5, 2018, and it seemed that the entire country rose up in defense of Dreamers, with protests erupting in cities across the United States. Yet the March 5 deadline has come and gone, and Dreamers have not been collectively deported or jailed. So what happened to the deadline, and what does the future hold for DACA recipients?

The DACA program was created during Obama’s presidency, granting certain rights—including the right to work—to children of immigrants who were brought to America in their youth. DACA recipients must reapply every two years for their protected status as “Dreamers", lest they risk deportation. There are roughly 800,000 young people in America who are DACA recipients, and they have been shown to actually bring money into the US economy, not to mention that their status helps them pursue an education and contribute to our society. President Trump, however, in his hardline stance against illegal immigrants, asked Congress to preserve the DACA program or he would end it.

Still, even after President Trump issued this ultimatum for Congress, there were legal appeals opposed to his demand. On January 10th, 2018, a federal judge in California ruled that even though there were legal challenges over the DACA program, the program could still continue, which served as a temporary block to Trump’s promise to end the program. Then, on February 13, 2018, a federal judge in New York ruled that Dreamers could still re-apply for permits even though the previous deadline had passed. This second ruling also issued a nationwide injunction which blocked the Trump administration from ending the DACA program. Between these two decisions, it was clear that even if Congress failed to pass legislation, the DACA program would not end on March 5.

As the deadline approached, both Democrats and Republicans attempted to pass immigration reform and legislation that would address DACA and Dreamers. There was bipartisan support for protecting Dreamers and continuing the program, but when other issues on immigration were introduced (for example, the debate over President Trump’s demand for a border wall), the support crumbled. Congress failed to pass any legislation before the March 5 deadline—however, due to the court rulings in California and New York, the DACA program is still extant, and recipients can still re-apply for extensions.

As the congressional battle over immigration reform continues, much of the public’s focus has been on concerns over family separation and what to do with detained immigrant children, who have been housed in detention facilities near the border, then sent all over the United States. This issue has captured the attention and sympathy of the American public, and politicians have been urged to act, with both parties looking to agree on legislation that will end family separation and reunite children with their parents. With all the focus on immigrant families, the status of DACA recipients remains up in the air. All Dreamers can do is wait for Congress to come to a decision, while their status as legal citizens of the United States hangs in the balance.