Abstract
Undocumented immigration status is a structural barrier to
socioeconomic mobility. The regularization of legal status may
therefore promote the socioeconomic mobility of formerly
undocumented immigrants. The 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood
Arrivals (DACA) program provided protection against deportation
and access to work authorization for eligible undocumented
immigrants who came to the United States as children. While
studies using cross-sectional data find that DACA led to improved
socioeconomic status, no studies have examined the socioeconomic
status of DACA recipients over time and few have disaggregated
among groups of DACA recipients. Drawing from one of the only
longitudinal studies of DACA recipients, we use growth curve
models to estimate individuals’ wage trajectories from the year
prior to DACA receipt up to 77 months post-DACA receipt among
Latino/a DACA participants in California. In this sample, DACA is
associated with improved earnings trajectories for recipients,
compared with nonrecipients. Among DACA recipients, there is
variation in earnings growth by stage of the life course, as
measured by age and educational attainment. Notably, DACA tenure
appears to be particularly beneficial for individuals who attain
DACA at earlier ages and who earn college degrees. This study
contributes to our understanding of the role of immigration laws
and policies in structuring immigrant integration and
socioeconomic mobility in the United States.
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