Who and Where the DREAMers Are
This analysis casts much-needed light on the question of exactly who might be eligible for the Barack Obama Administration's "deferred action" initiative announced in 2012 for unauthorized youth who were brought to this country as children. It provides a new level of detail that breaks down the DREAMer population by nationality and age at the national, state and congressional district levels.
Not surprisingly, most DREAMers are Mexican and are found in big immigrant-receiving states with large unauthorized populations such as California and Texas. Yet DREAMers are also found in virtually every state and significant numbers are non-Mexicans who hail from all corners of the globe. The report also finds that:
There are approximately 1.4 million immigrants currently in the U.S. who might meet the requirements of the deferred action initiative either now or when they are older.
Nearly seven-tenths of potential beneficiaries are Mexican, but immigrants who might be eligible come from all corners of the globe.
Potential beneficiaries from different parts of the world are distributed differently across the country.
Immigration Policy Center and Rob Paral and Associates. (2012). Who and Where the DREAMers Are. Immigration Policy Center: Washington, D.C.