What Does DACA Rescission Mean For Employers?

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced earlier today that the Department of Homeland Security will immediately “wind down” the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. This action will affect almost 800,000 young people in the United States by ending their temporary protection under deferred action and their ability to hold proper work authorization. This announcement has received widespread attention in the news media, but what does it mean for the nation’s employers?

What Is DACA?

Implemented in 2012 during the Obama administration, DACA provided temporary relief from deportation and temporary work authorization to those children brought to the United States before they were 16 years old and who resided in the U.S. for at least five years before June 15, 2012. Applicants also needed to be under the age of 31, be enrolled in school or have already graduated, and have no criminal record.