When President Obama's lawless Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy came into effect, its supporters argued that it was designed to benefit illegal aliens who were either in high school or already in college. While some illegal aliens applying for DACA are in school, the DACA guidelines never required applicants to actually graduate from their education program. As we've pointed out, DACA applicants simply had to be "enrolled" in some sort of educational program at the time of applying for the controversial amnesty and could drop out the day after submitting their DACA application. The educational program does not have to be high school or college; a "literacy program" is acceptable, for example. Dropping out of such a program does not disqualify an illegal alien from receiving the controversial DACA status or renewing it on an ongoing basis.
According to the USCIS renewal guidelines, illegal aliens wishing to renew their status really only have to promise three things. They must promise that they:
- Did not depart the United States on or after August 15, 2012, without advance parole;
- Have continuously resided in the United States since last submitting their most recent request for DACA that was approved up to the present time; and
- Have not been convicted of a felony, a significant misdemeanor, or three or more misdemeanors, and do not otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety.
Even these requirements are not what they seem. For example, continuous residence really doesn't require continuous residence since it allows for occasional returns home. And because of the way the administration counts criminal acts, illegal aliens can have more than three misdemeanors on their record and still qualify.
The new DACA guidelines note that certain sections of the application can be skipped if the alien is renewing. One section that can now be left blank is the "Education Information" section. In other words, illegal aliens who applied for DACA two years ago and have since dropped out of school are still eligible to receive the amnesty.
On its website, the pro-amnesty National Immigration Law Center explains the situation in a Q&A section:
Q: What if I no longer meet the DACA guidelines (for example, I dropped out of high school with no intent to get a GED or state equivalent certification). Can I still apply and not disclose that information, since the renewal application does not ask for it?
A: Yes. Neither the DACA application form nor the instructions ask for information about continued school enrollment or graduation.
The same organization also notes that those seeking to renew their DACA status do not have to be employed or self-sufficient in any way:
Q: Do I have to be currently working in order to be eligible for DACA renewal?
A: No. You do not need to have a job in order to be eligible for DACA renewal. Therefore, you do not need to submit evidence of employment as part of your renewal application.
Bottom line, Obama's controversial and lawless amnesty program operates to keep unemployed dropouts in the country even though under federal law the illegal aliens are to be deported. What is unclear is how Americans benefit from such a policy. What has happened to the public charge doctrine, which discourages the immigration of those who are not self-sufficient? Does America really need more uneducated and unskilled people?