Expecting the Inevitable: DACA and Mental Health

On September 5, 2017, Attorney General, Jeff Sessions announced that the Trump Administration was ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Better known as DACA, the passed into action in 2012 by the administration of former President Obama, was heralded for providing young undocumented adults the ability to do things such as legally work and attend college. The repeal of DACA is just beginning to affect the mental health of recipients. Researchers contend that the repeal of the DACA is a violent act that thus results in the psychological distress. Citing research published in American Association for the Advancement of Science conducted through Oregon’s Emergency Medicaid Program and other research experts and DACA recipients explore the psychological stressors of such a repeal on them as recipients and the immigrant communities that they serve. Furthermore, as the expiration of all DACA applications looms, with no sign of a replacement program or solution outside of systematic deportation, experts anticipate the rates of mental health afflictions will begin to rise. These rising rates of mental health issues have the potential to affect the immigrant community\u27s mental stability