Undocumented youth in the United States

Undocumented youth in the United States are young people living in the United States without U.S. citizenship or other legal immigration status. An estimated 1.1 million undocumented minors resided in the U.S. as of 2010, making up 16% of the undocumented population of 11 million.[1] Undocumented students face unique legal uncertainties and limitations within the United States educational system.[2] They are sometimes called the 1.5 generation (as opposed to first- or second-generation), as they have spent a majority of their lives in the United States.

Children have the legal right to a public K–12 education regardless of immigration status due to the 1982 US Supreme Court ruling in Plyler v. Doe.[3] After navigating through primary education, undocumented youth transition into an adulthood that does not grant them those provisions.[3] Although some undocumented students find their way to legal status, many remain undocumented.[4]

It has been noted that many undocumented youth experience a period of adapting to a new identity (being "illegal") that is stigmatized and unexpected. Coming of age, many undocumented youth become negatively distinguished from their former peers because of their inability to work legally, obtain a driver's license, or participate in post-secondary education. These limitations with regards to citizenship frequently prove to be obstacles to the youth's opportunity for social and civic engagement.[3]

DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) is a program that gives undocumented individuals the ability to be legally present in the United states, giving them a SSN and a work permit. As of June 18, 2020, the Supreme Court has ruled that the Trump Administration cannot legally repeal the program, writing that the "DHS's decision to rescind DACA was arbitrary and capricious."[5][6]

  1. ^ Gleason, Shannon; Roberto G. Gonzales (2012). "When Do Papers Matter? An Institutional Analysis Of Undocumented Life In The United States". International Migration. 50 (4): 1–19. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2435.2011.00726.x. hdl:1813/75207. ISSN 0020-7985. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
  2. ^ Maria Pabon Lopez, Gerardo R. Lopez (2010). Persistent Inequality: Temporary Realities in the Education of Undocumented Latina/o Students. New York: Routledge. p. 2.
  3. ^ a b c Gonzales, Roberto G. (2011). "Learning to Be Illegal: Undocumented Youth and Shifting Legal Contexts in the Transition to Adulthood" (PDF). American Sociological Review. 76 (4): 602–619. doi:10.1177/0003122411411901. S2CID 144786714. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  4. ^ Abrego, Leisy Janet (October 18, 2006). ""I Can't Go to College Because I Don't Have Papers": Incorporation Patterns Of Latino Undocumented Youth". Latino Studies. 4 (3): 212–231. doi:10.1057/palgrave.lst.8600200. ISSN 1476-3435. S2CID 143138219.
  5. ^ "Supreme Court Rules For DREAMers, Against Trump". NPR.org. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  6. ^ Opinion of the Court: DACA - Supreme Court of the United States