Education and Labor Market Effects of DACA on the Forgotten UnDACAmented Generation

• In Event: Rights Across Education Settings

Abstract

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program created by the Obama Administration in 2012 gave the opportunity for undocumented immigrants who meet certain eligibility criteria to receive a reprieve from deportation and a work permit. Using data from the American Community Survey (ACS), and a regression discontinuity strategy based on age and date of immigration, we estimate the effect of this policy on undocumented individuals’ educational-attainment and labor-market outcomes. Results show impact on reported income and formal labor-market participation, but not on educational participation for Generation X cohorts who were born or migrated to the U.S. just above the eligibility thresholds.

Authors

• Jorge E. Encinas, Harvard University

• Matthew Patrick Shaw, Vanderbilt University