Pres. Donald Trump took to Twitter for his daily morning lunacy, and this time he attacked DACA kids, also known as DREAMers. These are children who were brought here as children by their undocumented parents, and they’ve benefited from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
In a Tweet Tuesday morning, Trump described these young people “hardened criminals” and said that they’re not “angels.”
Many of the people in DACA, no longer very young, are far from “angels.” Some are very tough, hardened criminals. President Obama said he had no legal right to sign order, but would anyway. If Supreme Court remedies with overturn, a deal will be made with Dems for them to stay!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2019
Conservative Efforts to Smear DREAMers
The right has long tried to smear DREAMers as nightmarish criminals. Of course, this is nothing new.
However, it should be noted that Trump has previously called DREAMers “terrific” people and said he wants a “bill of love” to keep them safe from deportation.
Who Are the DREAMers?
First of all, there are approximately 800,000 DACA recipients, with nearly 690,000 of these young immigrants currently enrolled in DACA.
Keep in mind that Donald Trump is saying that these young people are “no longer very young,” but as of 2017, most Dreamers are aged 25 and under.
Most of the DACA recipients hail from Mexico and other countries in Central and South America, but not all. However, you can expect Trump to be especially critical of brown-skinned kids.
Libertarian Think Tank Shows DREAMers Less Likely to Commit Crimes
Let’s get to the facts. Are Dreamers more likely to commit crimes? Let’s go to the CATO Institute, an American libertarian think tank that’s headquartered in Washington D.C. Moreover, tt was founded by none other than Charles Koch of the infamous conservative supporting Koch Brothers. This Cato Institute article refers to Dreamers as “illegal immigrants,” a phrase liberals dislike. Notably, we like to call them undocumented immigrants. But I digress. What’s important here is what Cato says about the Dreamer incarceration and crime rate. One sentence says it all:
In fact, DREAMers have lower incarceration rates than native-born Americans of the same age and education level. (Source)
And this.
DREAMers are less likely to be incarcerated than native-born Americans with the same age and education. DACAineligible illegal immigrants and all other legal immigrants are even less likely to be incarcerated. The incarceration rate for DREAMers is closer to that of native-born Americans because they came here at a younger age and are more assimilated into American culture. (Source)
Note: literature about this topic abounds, but I deliberately chose statistics provided by a think tank that’s not “liberal biased” so that I could prove a point. Although I think data stands on its own and is irrefutable, uneducated and willfully ignorant idiots on the right insist that any data that disproves their views is skewed.
“Vast Body of Empirical Literature”
Cato goes on to point out that there is a “vast body of empirical literature” that shows that neither legal nor “illegal” immigrants increase local crime rates. In fact, according to Cato (and the FACTS and STATISTICS), immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than native-born Americans.
Cato goes into great detail about the methodology of their studies, dispelling any doubt as to their veracity. (Landgrave and Nowrasteh, “Criminal Immigrants.”)
- Step 1: Identify incarcerated undocumented (“illegal) immigrants
- Step 2: Shrink that pool to those who are DREAMers
- Step 3: Estimate the number of nonincarcerated and incarcerated native-born Americans, legal immigrants, and DACA ineligible undocumented immigrants
According to Cato, DREAMers had an incarceration rate of 0.98% in 2015, while native-born Americans had an incarceration rate of 1.12% in the same year. (Source)
The Data in Depth
The data goes even more in-depth. Immigrants as a whole are far less likely to be incarcerated for crimes. DACA ineligible kids have an incarceration rate of 0.38%, and the legal immigrant incarceration rate is only 0.24%. Furthermore, the native-born incarceration rate is a whopping 14% higher than DREAMer incarceration rate.
You can download Cato’s full article, with citations, as a PDF.
Fun fact about DREAMers. More of them have college degrees than their contemporaries who are American born, according to an American Progress study. It’s also a myth that they receive public assistance (welfare).
Blowback from Twitter
Although Trump’s typical sycophantic followers were quick to cheer him on, the sane folks on Twitter hit back hard with FACTS.
FILTHY LIES vilifying DACA recipients! The parameters, and requirements of those on DACA are rigorous!! They must maintain a job, school, and are PROHIBITED from committing a crime at any level! Any violation of these provisions would jeopardize their DACA status. #ImpeachTrump
— April (@speakout_april) November 12, 2019
Evidence, please?
— Jean L.P. Jaurès 🇺🇸🌎🔬📚⚖️ (@larsp2740) November 12, 2019
"Hardened Criminals"?
You should use them as a talent pool to recruit for your Administration.
— Fred Harding (@OPCGhost) November 12, 2019
They all have to pass a federal background check.
Cannot be in DACA if they have a felony
So this if course is a lie.
— whamish2.0 (@wisconsinvotes1) November 12, 2019
I'm pretty sure this percentage of "angels" you speak of is the minority of dreamers not the majority…
Stop the fear mongering.
— Angela Belcamino (@AngelaBelcamino) November 12, 2019
It's actually none because #DACA has guidelines for participants. They cannot be hardened criminals and be in #DACA
— Sarita (@DetroitSarita) November 12, 2019
He's only talking to his base, just in case he'll be forced to allow DACA recipients the right to stay here or a path to citizenship. We already know they aren't hardened criminals, since to be in DACA means they have to be model citizens…
— Diane 🍷Y M⚜️ (@Armenua) November 12, 2019
And natch, yours truly had something to say.
LIES. pic.twitter.com/3NNSha9YNy
— Tiffany Willis Clark (@tiffany_willis) November 12, 2019
Conclusion: Fuck Trump
I’ve presented some hella hardcore unbiased statistics here, but let me close by saying simply this. Fuck Trump and his BS lies.
I know many DREAMers personally. They went to school with my children. They were honor roll students in the top percentage of their classes. Efforts to smear these fine young people are what’s criminal.
Featured image via Wikipedia
