Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
Policy established by President Barack Obama in 2012 to allow undocumented immigrants categorized as DREAMers to remain in the country and legally work.
Applicants must pass a background check, have no criminal record, and either be in school, recently graduated, or have been honorably discharged from the military.
Their permission to remain in the country legally must be renewed every two years.
In 2017, President Donald Trump rescinded the policy. He delayed the recision through March, 2018, saying that Congress could enact legislation to continue it for those already eligible.
Senate fails to protect immigrants who arrived as children (2018-Feb-15)
Diversity Visa Lottery
A lottery administered by the State Department that attempts to diversify the immigrant population by selecting applicants from countries with low numbers of immigrants in the previous five years.
Referenced by...Senate fails to protect immigrants who arrived as children (2018-Feb-15)
DREAM Act
Acronym for Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors, the DREAM Act is the name given to various attempts at legislation that would have provided legal residency to certain young people brought into the United States illegally by their parents.
Though they were brought here illegally, these children grew up in the United States, and their only life (home, school, etc) has been in the United States.
The various attempts to define those who would be helped by the DREAM Act differed, but in general, the person must...
o Have lived in the U.S. for a certain length of time.
o Have a certified completion of high school, or be admitted to college
o Pass background and criminal checks.
Because the bill was named the DREAM Act, those young people to whom it offered protection are referred to as DREAMers.
For more, read the American Immigration Council report.
Click here for details of the 2001 DREAM Act.
Senate fails to protect immigrants who arrived as children (2018-Feb-15)
Deportation plan would cost taxpayers more than $30 billion (2017-Feb-21)
Sanctuary City
When someone is arrested, their identifying information is shared with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
If an inmate is determined to be in the country illegally, ICE may request that the jail detain them after they would otherwise be released, in order to begin deportation proceedings.
A sanctuary city (or other jurisdiction) is one that refuses such requests.
For more, read this Washington Post explanation and this America's Voice primer.