Socorro Yepez, Maryinez Cano, Liliana Pulido, and Stephen Maney
SW 5014 Law and Ethics
Professor Yvonne Berenguer, MSW
Due: March 04, 2015
Synopsis In the past thirty years the Unites States has been experiencing a growing number of immigrants, it is estimated that more than eleven million immigrants are currently living undocumented in the country (Arco, 2014). With such a growth of undocumented immigrants, there have been failed legislative efforts in trying to address childhood arrivals. The first effort that tried to address childhood arrivals occurred in 1982 with the Unites Stated Supreme Court’s decision in Plyler v. Dow (Richard, 2013). The Supreme Court’s decision stated that a state could not deny public schooling to children based on their status (Richard, 2013). Another effort, and a most recent one, in trying to address childhood arrivals occurred in 2001. The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM Act) was an immigration reform that would have benefited those who came to the United States as children and are now helpful and productive members of society (Warley, 2012). However, the DREAM Act failed to pass after the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 due to the United States changing their view on immigrants and the nation’s security (Richard, 2013). After the failed effort of the DREAM Act, the undocumented youth began organizing themselves and formed a grassroots movement (Arco, 2014). “The pressure from the grassroots movement and the persistent legislative failure to act caused President Barak Obama to pass the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy in 2012” (Arco, 2014). DACA is a deferred action policy that provides legal accommodations for some youth and young adults who were brought as children to the United States (Richard, 2013). DACA is designed to provide two year permits that will assist those who qualify for this deferred action from