by Michael Moore

Are the sins of the father the responsibility of the son? This is one of the many questions President Barack Obama was challenged with when creating the controversial policy DACA. DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) is a policy that has garnered a vast amount of criticism and controversy. Recently, the topic has been under increased scrutiny with a Texas judge declaring the policy to be unconstitutional. What I want to explore specifically in my capstone is how DACA has impacted the United States and other countries legally, socially, and culturally and whether this impact has been beneficial to the American people.

However, before examining the former president’s decision, a little bit of background on the border itself is necessary. Prior to the 1990s border security was relatively uncontrolled and immigrants from Mexico and South American countries could virtually just walk across the border without much fear of being stopped (Guerette, 2005). This lack of border security was simply not maintainable, which led to the increase in security during the 1990s (Guerette, 2005). This security included an increase in agents along the border, an increase in surveillance along the border, and the creation of physical barriers such as walls. While this made a more secure border, it also had some unintended consequences that have become critical factors in the current border situation. First, the increased security led to illegal immigrants heavily relying on smuggling to enter the U.S., which led to a shift in the mission of border security (Guerette, 2005). Currently, smuggling is considered a greater issue than immigration. Second, increased security has led to migrants choosing more dangerous methods in order to cross the border (smuggling included), which has unfortunately resulted in an increase in deaths along the border. This has led to the border patrol adopting an increasingly medical and humanitarian role, as they now are far more focused on the prevention of migrant death and application aid to injured and at-risk immigrants.