How DACA Has Transformed The Lives Of Dreamers — And Their Communities

How DACA Has Transformed The Lives Of Dreamers — And Their Communities Enlarge this image toggle caption Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Today, the 643,000 DACA recipients in the United States can breathe a little easier. Sponsor Message Enlarge this image Mary Levin/Courtesy of Roberto G. Gonzales Mary Levin/Courtesy of Roberto G. Gonzales Roberto G. Gonzales, a professor at Harvard's Graduate School of Education, calls DACA the "most successful immigration policy" since 1986, when Congress passed the Immigration Reform and Control Act and, when signed by President Ronald Reagan, legalized the presence of almost 3 million immigrants. So, we know what's going to happen over these next several months will critically determine the future of this program, but also of young people. All of the young people that we've met through this research have used their DACA benefits and status to benefit family members. Prior to DACA, the young people that I met were experiencing mental and physical manifestations of stress, because of the stress of of leading undocumented lives.