Ending DACA Could Cost States $Billions

From Center for American Progress:

Ending DACA would result in a loss of $460.3 billion from the national GDP over the next 10 years, and remove an estimated 685,000 workers from the nation’s economy.

Specifically, per CAP’s analysis, the 10 states demanding that the Trump administration end DACA (Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, Tennessee, Texas, South Carolina, and West Virginia) stand to lose more than $8 billion annually in state GDP if they get their wish. 

Here’s a state-by-state chart of the annual GDP loss from removing workers with DACA, which we calculated using data from our report estimating the GDP declines from removing unauthorized workers from the country, and a survey estimating the share of DACA recipients who are employed.

Earlier today, Attorneys general from 19 states plus DC signed a letter to President Trump asking him to protect and preserve DACA — they understand that it’s about the lives of the 787,580 beneficieries deferred action protects, as well as our nation as a whole: “The consequences of rescinding DACA would be severe, not just for the hundreds of thousands of young people who rely on the program — and for their employers, schools, universities, and families — but for the country’s economy as a whole,” says the letter.

From CAP’s column:

By providing the opportunity for individuals to come forward, pass rigorous background checks, and obtain permission to live and work in the United States lawfully, DACA has helped its recipientsachieve milestones typically associated with the American dream, such as pursuing higher education, earning better wages to support their families, and buying homes. Nearly 8 in 10 voterssupport allowing DREAMers to remain permanently in the country, including almost three-quarters of Trump voters, and only 14 percent believe they should be forced to leave.

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