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Young Undocumented Immigrants Face Uncertain Future Under President Trump

Chicago-area immigrants are bracing for President-elect Donald Trump to keep his campaign promises. Towards the top of their list of concerns is how Trump will handle the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, which is a four-year-old policy enacted by President Barack Obama that affects 800,000 undocumented young immigrants. The program provides work papers to young immigrants and protects them from deportation.

DACA is not a law. It was created by an executive order from Obama, meaning Trump could simply rescind the program after he is sworn into office. If that happens, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights says there will be strong resistance. WBEZ’s Chip Mitchell reports.

Undocumented immigrants wait to fill out applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program on Aug. 15, 2012, at Chicago’s Navy Pier. Legal experts say the Trump administration can use that data for immigration enforcement.

Undocumented immigrants wait to fill out applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program on Aug. 15, 2012, at Chicago’s Navy Pier. Legal experts say the Trump administration can use that data for immigration enforcement.

Sitthixay Ditthavong/Associated Press

Chicago-area immigrants are bracing for President-elect Donald Trump to keep his campaign promises.

Toward the top of their list of concerns is how Trump will handle the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, which is a four-year-old policy enacted by President Barack Obama that provides work papers to young immigrants and protects them from deportation. About 800,000 people have signed up for the program.

DACA is not a law, but a policy memo from former homeland security secretary Janet Napolitano. That means Trump could simply rescind the program after he is sworn into office. If that happens, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights says there will be strong resistance. WBEZ’s Chip Mitchell reports.

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