With DACA numbers plummeting and legal hurdles mounting, what hidden costs will the proposed Dream and Promise Act bring to the US economy?

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The main economic risk is not that the Dream and Promise Act would impose large new hidden costs, but that failing to pass a permanent fix is already creating bigger losses through worker attrition, legal uncertainty and lower tax revenue. DACA enrollment has fallen sharply to about 436,350 active recipients by June 2026, down nearly 100,000 since early 2025, largely because renewals are delayed and new approvals remain blocked. That shrinkage is already disrupting payrolls, consumer spending and state tax collections. Research cited in the materials estimates that loss of work authorization alone could cut earnings by about $9,900 per recipient annually, or roughly $5.3 billion a year for the 2023 DACA population. In a broader removal scenario, annual losses could reach $23 billion, with lifetime losses around $260 billion. The Dream and Promise Act would bring fiscal costs: USCIS processing, court workloads, legal aid, and implementation of conditional-to-permanent residency pathways. There could also be modest short-term spending tied to benefit eligibility over time as some recipients become lawful permanent residents and later citizens. But these are offset by higher labor-force participation, steadier tax compliance, fewer work-permit lapses, and reduced turnover for employers. A larger hidden cost comes from inaction. Employers lose trained workers, families delay home purchases and education, and states forgo income and sales tax growth. With immigrants already cruci…

Jeffries Backs Return of Deported DACA Recipients, Seeks Aid as Democrats Fight Trump Funding

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Jeffries Backs Return of Deported DACA Recipients, Seeks Aid as Democrats Fight Trump Funding

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