10th Annual DACA Survey: 2024 Findings Reveal What’s at Stake for Recipients and the United States

“I would lose everything I know,” responded a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient, a sentiment shared by many respondents who answered a survey question asking them to describe the impact that losing DACA would have on them and their families.¹

Since its inception more than a decade ago, DACA has transformed the lives of more than 800,000 individuals, providing work authorization, access to stable employment opportunities, and the chance to build a life free from the constant threat of deportation.² What began as a lifeline for young people with hopes and dreams now supports a generation of adults who are raising families and building professional careers. The United States is the only home that many recipients have ever known. After more than 30 years of congressional inaction on much-needed immigration reform, DACA provided a glimmer of hope to many people.³ Its impacts have transcended far beyond its recipients and improved the lives of all Americans by helping strengthen communities and by contributing to local and broader U.S. economies.⁴

But despite the overwhelming contributions DACA recipients have made, they have endured more than a decade of uncertainty swirling around the durability of DACA. Now more than ever, the stakes couldn’t be higher, as the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling in January 2025 has left recipients with no certainty about the future.⁵ This uncertainty and the fear of deportation are heightened by President Donald Trump’s history of attempts to terminate DACA and his administration’s unprecedented and cruel mass deportation efforts,⁶ which threaten immigrants in the United States on visas, those with permanent resident status,⁷ and DACA recipients.⁸ If DACA is terminated without a solution and safety net in place to protect communities nationwide, the mass deportation of recipients would create a chain reaction, with deep consequences echoing throughout American households, communities, and the economy.

Only permanent legislative relief can provide the stability and security needed to unlock DACA recipients’ full potential, not just for themselves but also for the country that has long been their home.

Ten years of survey data on DACA recipients show that DACA has been pivotal to the economic advancement that allows recipients to prosper in the United States. Approximately 525,210 active DACA recipients currently live in the country, contributing to their communities and local economies.¹⁰ DACA’s eligibility requirements dictate that all recipients must have been in the United States since at least 2007.¹¹ Among 2024 survey respondents, the average age at the time of arrival was only 5.9 years old and the average time living in the United States was 25.4 years. The 2024 survey found that more than 9 out of every 10 respondents (94.9 percent) are currently employed or enrolled in school.¹²

The prolonged legal uncertainty surrounding DACA threatens the advancement of recipients and their contributions to the economy. By providing DACA recipients a path to citizenship, the United States would ensure that current recipients can continue to build their lives in this country and contribute to its growth and prosperity.

DACA has allowed participants to apply for employment authorization, which enables them to work legally in the United States. As a result, DACA recipients have moved into jobs that better fit their skill sets and career goals, helping them find meaningful work that allows them to contribute to their communities and boost the economy for all Americans.

The 2024 DACA survey data show that more than 9 out of every 10 respondents (92.4 percent) are currently employed. This represents a significant increase in recipients’ employment in the four years since the COVID-19 pandemic, rising from just under 80 percent in 2021, a post-pandemic gain of 15.8 percent.¹⁵

According to the 2024 survey results, after receiving DACA:

• 60 percent of respondents moved to a job with better pay.
• 48.7 percent of respondents moved to a job with better working conditions.
• 51.5 percent of respondents moved to a job that “better fits [their] education and training.”
• 54.7 percent of respondents moved to a job that “better fits [their] long-term career goals.”
• 58.4 percent of respondents moved to a job with health insurance or other benefits.
• 21.5 percent of respondents obtained professional licenses.

In addition to these indicators that show DACA has helped improve recipients’ livelihoods, survey data reveal that approximately 7.9 percent of DACA recipients have started their own businesses. Research has demonstrated that DACA promotes the growth of businesses and entrepreneurship across the country.¹⁶ This support for entrepreneurs, along with high levels of participation in the workforce, shows that DACA recipients play a critical role in developing a dynamic American economy.

However, despite these positive contributions to the economy, business and job growth, and professional advancement, ongoing legal and political threats to DACA have created a climate of chronic uncertainty. The uncertainty surrounding DACA stifles economic mobility, limits upward advancement, and leaves recipients vulnerable to exploitation. This harms recipients and undermines the economic benefits that DACA recipients bring to the broader workforce.

When asked about how their life would change if they no longer had DACA:

• 42.4 percent of respondents would be less likely to look for a new job if needed.
• 44.9 percent would be less likely to report wage theft or other abuses by their employer if needed.
• 63.6 percent would be less likely to obtain a professional license.

The prospect of losing DACA has caused recipients to worry about the economic consequences of losing their employment authorization and related benefits and protections. Survey participants indicated that the loss of DACA would make operating a business harder. A DACA business owner stated, “We have 3 restaurants so [the loss of DACA] would be chaotic and my life would end in the US.”¹⁷ Moreover, communities would lose workers contributing to critical fields such as education and health care. For example, one respondent aspiring to be a nurse shared, “Without DACA I would not be able to help support my family … I would have to stop my nursing career since I would no longer be able to pursue my nursing license.”¹⁸ Another recipient expressed, “Both my sister and I will not be able to work if we lose our DACA. My sister is a therapist, and I am a special education teacher.”¹⁹

These are just a few examples of the essential role that DACA has played in providing participants with meaningful work, career advancement, and an enhanced ability to contribute to their communities. If DACA’s work authorization were to end, it would have serious consequences not just for the individuals protected by DACA but also for Americans across the country as businesses close or lose key workers and critical job roles go unfilled. DACA recipients’ use of their work permits to thrive and contribute to their jobs and communities demonstrates why it is vital that DACA continues to protect and enable recipients to support themselves and their families. This underscores the urgent need for Congress to provide a legislative solution.

Receiving work authorization through DACA has allowed recipients to pursue better employment opportunities, which has helped them achieve greater economic stability and financial independence. With better earnings, many DACA recipients have become more financially secure, are able to support their families, and have the spending power to help boost the American economy and make greater contributions to communities across the country. One respondent shared that “since having DACA, I have been able to go to a four-year university and obtain a bachelor’s degree. Immediately after graduation, I landed a really good job that has given me and my family financial and housing stability.”²⁸

The past 10 years of survey data illustrate that DACA has had a significant and positive effect on the wages of recipients. Average hourly wages of DACA recipients nearly tripled, from $11.88 before receiving DACA to $33.55 in 2024—an increase of 182.4 percent. The average annual earnings of respondents are approximately $66,353, and their median annual earnings total $60,000.

In addition to this increase in individual earnings, DACA recipients are contributing more to resource critical programs that support all Americans, as past research shows that their earnings have led to hefty federal, state, and local tax contributions.²⁹ As employers and employees, they have earned billions of dollars in wages and contributed nearly $2.1 billion each year to Social Security and Medicare, strengthening these social insurance programs that benefit all Americans, especially during these uncertain economic times.³⁰

As a result of the increased earnings made possible by DACA, recipients and their families have become more financially independent and secure:

• 83.1 percent of respondents reported that their increased earnings have “helped [them] become financially independent.”
• 82.7 percent reported that their increased earnings have “helped [their] family financially.”
• 34.6 percent reported that their increased earnings have “helped [them] take care of an elderly parent or relative.”

But the 2024 survey data also reveal that losing DACA would put these financial independence and security gains in danger. Respondents worry that losing DACA would mean loss of income, career opportunities, and their families’ main financial support. A DACA recipient stated:

Losing DACA could mean losing work authorization, which affects job stability, financial security, and career growth. Without work authorization, it may be harder to provide for myself, my family or support any future goals, which could lead to financial strain.³¹

DACA’s end would hurt the career advancement of thousands of recipients and the economic stability of their families, the impact of which will be felt in the communities in which they have thrived. Without the ability to work legally, recipients would lose access to stable employment and, in turn, reduce their contributions to federal, state, and local taxes, as well as to vital social insurance programs, such as Social Security and Medicare, that millions of Americans rely upon every day. Taking away DACA would negatively affect not just DACA recipients but also vulnerable older Americans and retirees across the country by reducing critical contributions to these social programs.

In addition to their tax payments, DACA recipients have contributed to the American economy as consumers as they and their families have achieved better economic prospects. With more money to spend on goods and services, data show that DACA recipients have purchased homes and cars while putting down roots and becoming more invested in their communities. This increased consumer spending and local demand for goods and services boosts local job creation for Americans and strengthens local economies.³²

Data from the past 10 years show a remarkable upward trend in DACA recipients purchasing homes. Among 2024 survey respondents, 26.3 percent reported they bought their first home after receiving DACA, compared with an estimated 17.7 percent³³ according to the 2022 survey. DACA recipients who own homes pay millions of dollars in mortgages and property taxes that directly support local services and infrastructure—such as public schools, roads, firefighters, and public safety—that benefit all residents in their communities.³⁴ DACA has made achieving the quintessential American dream of buying a home possible for its recipients and their families, and it continues to serve as an exemplary initiative that has the power to change the lives of tens of thousands of people and enable them to plant strong roots beside their American neighbors in cities and states across the country.

Additionally, DACA has improved its recipients’ lives by providing them access to driver’s licenses and their first car purchases. Nearly three-fourths (72.5 percent) of survey respondents stated that they bought their first car after receiving DACA. Increasing access to driver’s licenses for individuals is a commonsense policy that improves road safety; boosts the economy as workers are able to drive to better job opportunities; and increases local revenues through driver’s license fees, vehicle registration and title fees, vehicle use taxes, and gasoline taxes, which help pay for critical improvements in American communities.³⁵

However, all the strides that DACA recipients have made in improving their lives, along with the gains communities have received, would be at grave risk if DACA were to end. Survey respondents shared a strong fear of losing their homes because they “would no longer be able to pay [their] mortgage.”³⁶ One recipient stated:

Without DACA I cannot work, and I will not have income to pay for my insurance, my house mortgage, and my car payment including life things, food, and clothing. We would have to sell the house because, with only my husband’s income, we would not be able to pay for it all.³⁷

On the flip side, granting DACA recipients a path to citizenship—which would provide them more freedom to pursue educational and career opportunities, along with stability and peace of mind, to prosper—would yield even larger economic gains for the American economy. Research shows that a pathway to citizenship would increase cumulative U.S. gross domestic product by nearly $800 billion over a decade, create more than 285,000 new jobs, and increase the annual wages of all other workers by $400.³⁸

DACA continues to open educational opportunities to recipients. As one respondent shared, “Since receiving DACA, I’ve completed my bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.”³⁹

Among respondents, 18.5 percent indicated they are currently enrolled in school, with the large majority of students—82.7 percent—pursuing a bachelor’s degree or higher. Notably, 77.8 percent of respondents currently in school said that because of DACA, they “pursued educational opportunities that [they] previously could not.”⁴⁰ Furthermore, 62.8 percent of respondents reported already having a bachelor’s degree or higher.

In contrast, through questions on what recipients’ lives would be like without DACA, the data found:

• 70.7 percent of respondents currently in school would be less likely to continue their education if needed.
• 60 percent would be less likely to pursue new educational opportunities if needed.

These findings exemplify the essential role that DACA plays in shaping the lives and decisions of its recipients. Many spoke about the devastating impact losing it would have on their education, with one respondent stating, “I would not be able to continue to pursue my PhD. I would live in terror.”⁴¹ Others emphasized how it would derail their future plans:

I am in the process of applying for grad school to obtain my counseling credential to become a mental health counselor for either students K-12 or for college students. Without DACA I would not be able to attend grad school, get my credential, or work as a counselor.⁴²

Another respondent added, “I … am also a nursing student, without DACA I would not be able to finish my degree and achieve my goal of becoming a community outreach Nurse Practitioner.”⁴³

Without DACA, recipients may have no choice but to abandon plans for higher education. The absence of DACA’s protection would leave thousands of people facing severe barriers to education and steep obstacles to employment. These limitations would not only harm recipients’ futures but would also disrupt the economic and social fabric of their communities. Families would face increased instability, and entire communities would lose out on the talent that DACA recipients bring. In the long term, this would mean fewer skilled workers, reduced tax revenue, and a less inclusive economy.⁴⁴

The economic cost of losing DACA will be immediately felt by recipients and their families and will reverberate across entire communities. Recipients will lose opportunities to advance their careers and education, ultimately cutting them off from pursuing the American dream. Institutions will lose valuable and hardworking employees who serve all Americans, including doctors, nurses, and teachers, and communities will lose these workers’ contributions. In addition to economic losses, fewer educational opportunities, and professional setbacks, there is a deeper fear among DACA recipients of losing a way of life they have established for themselves. DACA recipients fear deportation and are anxious about being separated from their families; face increased barriers to accessing professional licenses and driver’s licenses; and face losing critical health care.

Fears about deportation and an uncertain future

With the future of DACA unclear, recipients continue to face a great deal of uncertainty. DACA recipients are increasingly dealing with the possibility that they may be deported to countries they know little to nothing about.

When asked about deportation:

• 57 percent reported they think about being deported from the United States at least once per day.
• 60.4 percent reported that they think about a family member being deported at least once per day.

In addition to these psychological harms, DACA recipients have heightened concerns over their physical health, education, and economic security. The 2024 DACA survey found that more than 9 in 10 respondents (94.5 percent) reported concerns about their own or their family’s physical safety, ability to access health care or education, the risk of food insecurity, or the risk of homelessness if respondents were to be deported:

• 80.8 percent reported: “In my country of birth, I would be concerned about the physical safety of myself and my family.”
• 72.3 percent reported: “In my country of birth, I would be concerned about the quality of healthcare for myself and my family.”
• 66.5 percent reported: “In my country of birth, I would be concerned about the quality of education for myself and my family.”
• 55.4 percent reported: “In my country of birth, I would be concerned about food insecurity for myself and my family.”
• 42 percent reported: “In my country of birth, I would be concerned about homelessness for myself and my family.”

The fear of deportation and anxiety about the future were real and pervasive among respondents. Many expressed deep fear of losing protection from deportation and experiencing greater instability for themselves and their families if they lost DACA. One recipient shared that “the absence of DACA would heighten stress and uncertainty,”⁴⁵ with another adding that the fear is strong “since the federal government already has our information.”⁴⁶ One respondent shared nervousness about the quality of care and education of their children as well as their adjustment, stating, “my children do not speak Spanish very well, they only know our community as their home.”⁴⁷

The threat of losing DACA protections has instilled fear within communities and raised anxiety among DACA recipients and their families about their futures. In addition to anxieties about physical safety, ability to access health care or education, food insecurity, and homelessness, these worries center around the impact of potential family separation on DACA recipients’ children.

Family separation and the impact on American children

Respondents’ fears about deportation due to the loss of DACA extended to the potential impact of deportation on their families, particularly the pain that separation from their families and children, nearly all of them U.S. citizens, would cause.

When asked about family impact, 29.1 percent of respondents in the 2024 survey were parents. Among these respondents:

• 82.4 percent reported that they think about “being separated from [their] children because of deportation” at least once per day.
• 81 percent reported thinking about “not being able to see [their] children grow up because of deportation” at least once per day.

Many respondents in this year’s survey also indicated in very personal terms the harm that the potential loss of DACA would have on their families, particularly with regard to their children and the possibility of confronting the prospect of family separation. Respondents stated they fear “being ripped away from [their] babies”; are “treating everyday as if it’s [their] last” with their children; and are “either recording, taking pictures” or “creating new memories … in case [they] have to leave.”⁴⁸ Respondents also said family separation due to deportation would “significantly impact [their children’s] quality of life and overall health” and that they “would hate to be afraid of [their children] not being on [their] side.”⁴⁹ The fears stemming from the possibility of DACA recipients being deported and separated from their families reveal the real harms that the Trump administration’s mass deportation policies, as well as the uncertain legal status of DACA, are currently having on immigrants who have called the United States home for decades. A path to citizenship for DACA recipients is critically needed so that they can be relieved of this immense, solvable burden and continue to participate in activities that contribute to their communities and make America a stronger country.

Fears about losing state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards

Another chilling effect of removing DACA protections is the potential loss of access to critical documentation such as state-issued driver’s licenses, which both enable transportation to jobs that help boost the country’s economy and provide a vital form of identification. Not all states provide driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants, but DACA allows recipients to obtain them in all states.⁵⁰

Among survey respondents, 88.5 percent said they would be concerned about losing their driver’s license if they no longer had DACA.⁵¹ As one respondent shared, “[I]n my state, I would not be able to get a driver’s license or any kind of ID.” Another pointed out additional challenges stating, “I wouldn’t be able to get tags for my car.”⁵²

For some recipients, losing their license would severely affect their ability to access necessary services for their dependents. A recipient expressed, “I am the caregiver for my parents. If I did not have DACA, I would not have my license and I would not be able to take them to doctor appointments, nor be able to pick up their medication.”⁵³ Another respondent described the impact on accessing services for their children more starkly: “It would leave me without a driver’s license which would affect me every time I have to show an ID (my kids’ medical appointments, school visits etc.). It would be like a scarlet letter around my neck with a big U for undocumented anytime I wouldn’t be able to provide identification.”⁵⁴

The fear of losing a driver’s license transcends the ability to drive legally. It undermines the ability of DACA recipients to care for their loved ones, maintain essential routines, more easily participate in the American economy, and assert their identity in everyday life.

Chilling effects on engagement with public institutions and services

In addition to the impact of not having access to a driver’s license, losing DACA and the threat of deportation would spread a chilling effect among its recipients, affecting the way recipients interact with critical public institutions.

Without DACA:

• 40.9 percent of respondents would be less likely to report a crime they witnessed.
• 34.7 percent would be less likely to report a crime of which they themselves were the victim.
• 50.6 percent would be less likely to use public services that require providing personal contact information, such as going to city hall.
• 60 percent would be less likely to conduct business with institutions that require personal contact information, such as opening a bank account or getting a loan for which they are qualified.

Recipients’ trust in public institutions would falter without DACA, making everyday interactions with government and financial institutions feel riskier. This increased feeling of risk, combined with the potential loss of access to essential driver’s licenses or ID cards, would negatively affect DACA recipients’ well-being.

The looming loss of health coverage and its toll on families

For the past 10 years, having DACA has meant having access to a work permit, which has provided many recipients with job opportunities that include health care benefits. Without the ability to work and as a result of the recently proposed Trump administration rule barring DACA recipients from accessing medical insurance under the Affordable Care Act—which the Biden administration made possible—many people would lose access to lifesaving care.⁵⁵

Among respondents, 81.5 percent expressed concern about losing their health insurance if they no longer had DACA.⁵⁶ As one respondent shared:

I … have a medical condition that requires ongoing treatment, which DACA has made possible by giving me access to healthcare through my job. Without it, I would lose access to the care I need to manage my condition, putting my health at serious risk. The fear of not being able to receive medical treatment is overwhelming, especially knowing there are no other options for affordable care.⁵⁷

For many recipients, the loss of a work permit would mean losing employer-sponsored coverage not just for themselves but also for their families. “We would lose our health insurance, as my family is covered under my employer-based health insurance,” one respondent explained.⁵⁸ Others worry about the impact on their families who rely on their health care coverage. One DACA recipient caregiver shared that without his health insurance he would not be able to take care of his own health; the health of his wife, who is suffering from cancer; or the health of his newborn.⁵⁹

From health care to driver’s licenses, the benefits of DACA extend beyond a work permit and protection from deportation. Without DACA, recipients would experience lasting and far-reaching consequences in their daily lives, negatively altering the way they navigate their futures, care for their families, contribute to their communities, and participate in American society.

Ongoing and baseless litigation, punitive threats to DACA recipients, executive orders attacking immigrants, and the heightened fear of deportation continue to put DACA recipients, and their families, communities, and contributions, at risk.⁶⁰ Despite years of compelling survey findings that demonstrate the positive impacts DACA recipients have on American communities and the economy, their futures remain in perpetual limbo in a system that offers no stability due to ongoing legal threats and political inaction. Congress must swiftly pass pathway-to-citizenship legislation, such as the American Dream and Promise Act, or risk an entire generation falling through the cracks of a broken immigration system and the country at large facing devastating economic consequences.⁶¹

As one DACA recipient powerfully stated, “I am a dreamer, and having DACA has completely changed my life. It has given me the opportunity to work, provide for my family, and support myself, which is an incredible feeling. Losing DACA feels like losing everything.”⁶²

The questionnaire was administered to an online panel of DACA recipients recruited by the partner organizations. The partner organizations offered all survey respondents a chance to win a $50 Target gift card. The partner organizations also offered an alternate method of entry for those who wanted to enter for a chance to win but did not wish to take the survey. Participants were provided with rules regarding entry for a chance to win the gift card.⁶³ Several steps were taken to account for the known sources of bias that result from such online panels. To prevent ballot stuffing—one person submitting multiple responses—the authors used a state-of-the-art online survey platform that does not allow one IP address to submit multiple responses. To prevent spoiled survey submissions—people responding who are not undocumented—the authors used a unique validation test for undocumented status. Multiple questions were asked about each respondent’s migratory and DACA application history. These questions were asked at different parts of the questionnaire. When repeated, the questions were posed using different wording. If there was agreement in the answers such that there was consistency regarding the respondent’s migratory history, the respondent was kept in the resulting pool of respondents. If not, the respondent was excluded. To recruit respondents outside the networks of the partner organizations, text, email alerts, Instagram, and TikTok posts were also used. Because there is no phone book of undocumented immigrants, and given the nature of online opt-in surveys, it is not possible to construct a valid margin of error.

For the third consecutive year, the survey included questions designed to assess the repercussions that losing DACA would have on the life of recipients. The survey was randomized so that some respondents received the control prompt, “How likely are you to do the following?”, while other respondents received the treatment prompt, “If you no longer had DACA, how likely are you to do the following?”

By comparing the differences between the control and treatment groups, it is possible to quantify how much recipients anticipate their life would change if they no longer had DACA protections. For example, when asked how likely they were to “participate in public events where police may be present,” 65.8 percent in the control group responded “likely” or “very likely.” However, in the treatment group, only 24.1 percent responded “likely” or “very likely.” This means that respondents would be 41.7 percent less likely to participate in public events where police may be present if DACA no longer existed. This result, and all those results under the different scenarios, are highly statistically significant (with a p value < 0.000).