Statement for the Record: Oversight of the Administration’s Decision to End Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

10/03/2017

Senate Judiciary Committee – Full Committee Oversight Hearing 

Compete America and its member companies encourage Congress to pass legislation to provide legal certainty for the participants in the DACA program to continue on the path of legal residency.  DACA, which provided work authorization and protection from deportation to nearly 800,000 young undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children, has been a great success. Protections for these individuals should be continued for both moral and economic reasons.

Because of DACA, our member companies have employed thousands of people who otherwise would have been unable to help grow and contribute to America’s economy. According to the Cato Institute: “Those who lose their work permits will be forced to work illegally or leave the workforce altogether. Businesses will have to spend an estimated $6.3 billion in turnover costs when the government forces them to fire these employees. This will shrink the size of the economy, eliminating jobs.”

Compete America stands firmly behind the urgent need for a permanent legislative solution for DACA recipients, and encourages Congress to take quick action and pass legislation by the end of this year.