President Trump recently called for an end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals immigration program, a decision that has put the residency, education and careers of 800,000 young adults known as “Dreamers” at risk. Trump’s order has come with a call on Congress to follow through in completely terminating the program.

To begin, we must first understand DACA and the narrative that Trump’s administration used to end this program. Through this explanation, we hope to make clear this is not a partisan issue, but one of empathy and common sense.

DACA, a program that began in 2012 under the Obama administration, grants protection from removal from the U.S. to people who came to the United States as undocumented child immigrants. The program protects these immigrants from being removed from the states while ensuring that they are contributing to American society. A requirement to file for DACA is that the applicant is in school or has graduated from high school, or is an honorably discharged veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States.

DACA recipients are disqualified from financial government assistance programs like Medicaid or Obamacare, are required to pay taxes and must maintain a clean criminal record to keep their DACA protection. In short, they are granted the chance to earn a career in the U.S. on the merit of their hard work alone, which is a testament to the American Dream if there ever was one.

The most important part to keep in mind about DACA is that its impact has been vastly beneficial to America. A 2017 study by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found that DACA recipients contribute $2 billion a year in taxes, and 75 percent of DACA permit holders are employed.

The case that Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions have made against DACA is that it’s denying jobs to Americans while allowing illegal immigrants to take them. To date, there is no data that implies that DACA recipients have drastically affected American employment, simultaneously bolstered by the fact the job market is presently healthy.

What’s more, we at the Review cannot stand behind a decision that would forcibly remove a fellow hardworking Ichabod from our campus or the surrounding community. For that reason, we applaud Washburn University for sending out resources for Washburn DACA recipients. The university has made efforts to help these students with information and assistance on DACA added to their Diversity and Inclusion website.

The Washburn Campus Activities Board is also hosting two events in the wake of this news: a Sept. 20 showing of Jesus Nebot’s film about immigration, “No Turning Back,” in the 

Memorial Union’s Washburn A/B room at 7 p.m. as well as a Sept. 21 seminar “Illegal Immigration: Challenges and Solutions,” with Jesus Nebot at 7 p.m. in Washburn A/B. We at the Review strongly encourage students to attend these events to learn more about immigration policy and discover what they can do to help Washburn DACA recipients.