Immigration and DACA: The impact on first responder hiring (2017)
www.ems1.com

... In early September, the Trump administration announced plans to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The policy was originally introduced in 2012 by the Obama administration.

In short, the policy has made it possible for nearly 800,000 immigrant children, known as dreamers, to live in the U.S. without fear of deportation. After plans were announced to end the program, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stopped processing DACA applications.

But not all dreamers are children " some are now adults after arriving in the United States at a young age. In Houston, paramedic Jesus Contreras, who came to the U.S. when he was six years old, credits DACA for allowing him to earn his paramedic certification at a community college.

Contreras said he's now worried he won't be able to work if he loses his DACA recipient status. Which, in turn, begs the question: how does the halt of DACA impact first responder hiring? Additionally, what does it mean for those who are already first responders, such as Contreras? ...