Amnesty for 700,000 DACA Recipients Would Bring 2 Million Additional Immigrants Via Chain Migration



DACA amnesty would bring an estimated 2 million additional immigrants into America—on top of the 700,000 DACA amnesty recipients— according to Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies for the Center for Illegal Immigration Studies. Vaughan says:

If Congress were to pass an amnesty for people with DACA, it would ultimately result in 2 million new immigrants over time. . . For every two immigrants we admit, you can say there will be an additional seven admitted. That growth is built into our immigration system.

This is because of a process called chain migration. Essentially, current US immigration law gives priority to immigrants who are “sponsored” by a family member already living in America, rather than someone with economic skills or investment capital.







The Heritage Foundation sums up how chain migration works nicely:

Chain migration starts with a foreign citizen who is given a green card. This individual is allowed to bring in his or her nuclear family consisting of a spouse and minor children.

Once the original immigrant and his or her spouse become U.S. citizens, they can petition for their parents, adult sons and daughters, and adult siblings and brothers and sisters-in-law to also enter.

This second group can bring their minor children. Once they become citizens, the brothers and sisters in law and parents can petition for their siblings, in-laws, and parents to legally enter the U.S.

The effects of a DACA amnesty, when combined with the process of chain migration is something that should concern every American taxpayer.

Should Congress grant amnesty to roughly 700,000 recipients of Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, these people would be able to help their family members jump to the front of the line—even if they are very likely to immediately collect welfare. This means big tax increases to pay for the added welfare burden.

In fact, a recent study found that ending chain migration could save American taxpayers up to $1.9 trillion over the next decade. This money could be better spent on just about anything, including better schools for our children or better programs to help our wounded and disabled veterans.

This is why immigration reform should be America’s number one priority—even if amnesty is granted, a reformed immigration system may be able to mitigate the economic damage.