Should we end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program (DACA)?

Immigration is a divisive issue, with President Trump making frequent promises of reform throughout the first few months in office. But how does this issue affect young people? As immigration issues take center stage on local and national levels, lawmakers across the country must consider the thousands of young adults who have received temporary legal status through President Obama’s executive action DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program.

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Teachers

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Additional resources to think about

5 Questions About DACA Answered
What is DACA? Who are the "Dreamers"? What happens next? All of these questions explained by NPR reporter, Richard Gonzalez.

Most Americans Want Legal Status for ‘Dreamers.’ These People Don’t.
Polls showed a large majority of Americans want to protect "Dreamers," but an article from the New York Times explores the viewpoints of those who don't.

Trump rescinds DACA, leaving undocumented youth unshielded
The Trump administration ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that protects nearly 800,000 undocumented youth from deportation.

TIMELINE: Inside the Epic, Ongoing Battle over DACA
From KQED, this timeline follows the many proposed laws for undocumented young people since 2001.

DACA Provides Chance for Undocumented Student to Attend College
This PBS NewsHour video from the Student Reporting Labs shows how DACA helped change the life for one student in South Carolina.

What's Next for DACA? | Let's Talk
NPR's Geoff Bennett explains how in 2017 Democrats and Republicans promoted their own plans to give Dreamers legal status as the White House weighed in with its own demands.

contemplate

Who created this message?

What kind of “text” is it?
How similar or different is it to others of the same genre?
What are the various elements (building blocks) that make up the whole?

What creative techniques are used to attract my attention?

What do you notice (about the way the message is constructed)?
What’s the emotional appeal?
What makes it seem “real?”
What's the emotional appeal? Persuasive devices used?

How might different people understand this message differently from me?

How many other interpretations could there be?
How could we hear about them?
How can you explain the different responses?

What lifestyles, values, and points of view are represented in, or omitted from, this message?

What type of person is the reader/watcher/listener invited to identify with?
What ideas or perspectives are left out?
How would you find what’s missing?
What judgments or statements are made about how we treat other people?

Why is this message being sent?

What's being sold in this message? What's being told?
Who is served by or benefits from the message
– the public?
– private interests?
– individuals?
– institutions?

5 Key Questions of Media Literacy used with permission from the Center for Media Literacy.
Copyright 2002-2021, Center for Media Literacy, www.medialit.com

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