DACA Entrepreneur Still at Risk of Deportation Despite Business Success
*By Bridgette Webb*
It's been a year since President Trump moved to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, commonly known as DACA. The program is still afloat, but remains on shaky ground, leaving roughly 700,000 young undocumented immigrants in limbo.
It's an issue that weighs heavy on "Dreamer" Victor Santos, a CEO and co-Founder of Boston-based start-up Airfox.
"Since the Trump administration, it's not quite clear on what will come of DACA in the next few years," Santos said Monday in an interview on Cheddar.
DACA allows certain individuals who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children to receive permits to avoid deportation on a two-year, renewable basis and eventually become eligible for a work permit.
Reneging on this policy ultimately precludes these people from contributing to the economy, which could have a big effect on the country, Santos said.
"As an entrepreneur, having Trump cancel the start-up visa and making it harder and harder for H-1B entrepreneurs \[to come\] into the U.S., it's been an impactful experience for myself, but also for engineers that we bring on from other countries," he said.
"DACA is creating billions in terms of output for the economy, these kids are doctors and entrepreneurs; they are people that considers themselves American."
Airfox, a mobile bank, has 20 employees and provides financial services for emerging industries like mobile microloans to "unbanked" users in Brazil, where interest rates chart upwards of 200 percent.
The immigration debate will inevitably rage on, and may very well head to the U.S. Supreme Court. In Texas, there was a surprise ruling in which a judge kept the DACA program in place, a decision that may undergo federal scrutiny.
The future is further in question as the U.S. awaits confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court.
The conservative judge, who faced four days of Senate hearings last week, will most likely vote with right-leaning colleagues to squash DACA.
The confirmation process, Santos said, is detracting from the real-life ramifications of killing the program.
"This whole thing is purely political and quite frankly, racist, to say the least," he said.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/daca-uncertainty-leaves-dreamers-in-limbo).
Two murder trials in focus in America — Wisconsin V. Kyle Rittenhouse and Georgia V. Travis Mcmichael, Gregory Mcmichael, and William Bryan, the Men who killed Ahmaud Arbery. Civil rights and criminal defense lawyer Anthony Tall and the Founder and CEO of Kim Crowder consulting Kim Crowder, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Mike Johnson, an alum of both "The Bachelorette" and "Bachelor in Paradise," joined Cheddar's "Between Bells" to talk about life after being part of the reality TV franchise, what it's like watching the new season as a viewer, and once again closed the door on the chance that he would return for another stint. He also provided some background on a new partnership with PepsiCo's Neon Zebra beverage.
Protect The Sacred is an organization aiming to educate and empower the next generation of Native leaders. Allie Young, the founder of the organization, joins Cheddar News' All Hands to discuss how she's helping communities amid the Covid-19 pandemic and her initiative called Ride to the Polls.
The holiday season is here and it’s time to prepare your home for a season of cozy hibernating and cheery holiday hosting. David Steckel, Home Expert at Thumbtack, joins 'Your Future Home' to discuss how maximizing where we live, work, and play has taken on a whole new meaning, and now we’re investing in our homes like never before.
On this episode of 'Your Future Home', Howard Dvorkin, CPA and Chairman of Debt.com, breaks down everything you need to know about buying a home as an unmarried couple or any partner; The holiday season is here and it’s time to prepare your home for a season of cozy hibernating and cheery holiday hosting. David Steckel, Home Expert at Thumbtack, discusses how maximizing where we live, work, and play has taken on a whole new meaning, and now we’re investing in our homes like never before; Cheddar breaks down everything you need to know about identifying and getting rid of clutter in your home.
Howard Dvorkin, CPA and Chairman of Debt.com, joins 'Your Future Home' to break down everything you need to know about buying a home as an unmarried couple or with any partner.
On this episode of ChedHER: Founding Partner of Space Hero explains how she's creating a global competition to send someone on a 10-day trip to space; Founder of My Social Canvas and Boss Beauties discusses the significance of the Boss Beauties NFTs being displayed at the New York Stock Exchange; Head of Digital Products & Channels at Chase breaks down small steps to improve your finances.
Deborah Sass, CO-CEO and Founding Partner of Space Hero, joins ChedHER to discuss how she's creating a global competition to send someone on a 10-day trip to space, her experience in the space industry without a background in STEM, and how she hopes to inspire younger generations of women.
Lisa Mayer, Founder of My Social Canvas and Boss Beauties, joins ChedHER to discuss the significance of the Boss Beauties NFTs being displayed at the New York Stock Exchange, and how she hopes to empower the next generation of women in the NFT and crypto space.
Sonali Divilek, Head of Digital Products & Channels at Chase, joins ChedHER to discuss what consumers can learn from the Chase Challenge, and easy ways that people can tidy up their finances this holiday season.
