JFF applauds the court’s decision. DACA recipients are members of our communities, schools, and workplaces, and we value the tremendous assets they bring to this country.
They fill many of our nation’s critical, in-demand jobs, and they include doctors, educators, business owners, college students, and more. They also work in the food service industry, agriculture, food manufacturing, and distribution. Without them, the United States would lose, at the very least, more than 200,000 frontline workers who are protecting the health and safety of Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. We would also lose roughly 14,900 teachers who are working tirelessly to ensure that students receive the supports they need while our country’s education systems adapt to full-time online learning during the pandemic. Losing DACA medical workers and teachers would be disastrous to our country, because we are experiencing critical workforce shortages in those fields.
DACA recipients make important intellectual, social, and financial contributions to their communities and add to the economic vitality of our country. A recent Center for American Progress analysis found that DACA recipients and their households pay more than $5.6 billion in federal taxes and $3.1 billion in state and local taxes each year.