Recently, the Supreme Court of the United Sates heard oral arguments in U.S. v. Texas, a case challenging two of President Obama’s key immigration initiatives, Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) and the expansion of the current Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). DAPA provides parents of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents temporary relief from removal, while the expanded DACA program extends removal relief to individuals who arrived in the U.S. as children. Recognized as the most consequential immigration case in decades to have reached the highest court of the nation, thousands of supporters, activists, civil rights groups, and community leaders from across the country came to the court to show their support for President Obama’s initiatives.

According to the American Immigration Council, the DAPA and DACA programs could provide five million immigrants with temporary relief from removal. It is estimated that over 200,000 South Asians are eligible for DAPA. “DAPA and the expanded DACA programs are the latest in the long struggle for immigrant rights in this country that should have ended with comprehensive immigration reform legislation in Congress, which the Senate passed with bipartisan support in 2013,” said Suman Raghunathan, Executive Director of South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT.) “While Congress has been unable to advance a bill, we hope the Supreme Court will uphold the constitutionality of these programs as a first step toward protecting millions from deportation, including thousands of undocumented South Asians. This occurs as South Asians are the fastest growing demographic in the country, totaling nearly 4.3 million strong as of 2013.”

While the primary benefit to those eligible for the programs includes temporary relief from removal, the programs are also likely to lead to an increase in the U.S. gross domestic product and tax revenue. The Center for American Progress notes that DAPA alone will boost the U.S. economy by $61 billion over a period of five years. This projected boost to the economy can be attributed in part to undocumented individuals being given temporary work permits. These temporary permits are expected to lead to significant wage gains, protect against workplace exploitation, and provide its users with better job opportunities that match their skills and training. Moreover, the increase in wages will allow undocumented immigrants to have more money to spend on everyday goods and services, which will subsequently have a positive effect on the economy.

SABA GB recognizes that the immigration system is backlogged and untenable in its current state, and that many are forced to wait years, or even decades, to receive visas to join their families in the U.S. The federal immigration court system is also notoriously backlogged and overstrained, forcing individuals to wait an average of 1,071 days to even be heard by an immigration judge, according to a recent report by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC). For these reasons, SABA GB supports President Obama’s DAPA and DACA initiatives and the prioritization of family unification by this administration. Regardless of the outcome of this historic case, Congress must act to pass comprehensive immigration reform to address these complex and pressing issues.

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