Young people who applied for DACA have little to fear

The Nov. 20 editorial “On topic of immigration, Trump offers fear itself” gives the impression that illegal alien youth who applied for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) are in great danger and may have made a mistake when they applied for this benefit.

Those who applied for DACA now have a real Social Security number they can use for life. They are currently in temporary legal status. Once he takes office, President Donald Trump can end DACA for new applicants, but those who paid the $465 fee are legal until their two-year permit expires.

Terminating this status early would require United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to notify each applicant, return receipt requested, and get a signature showing the DACA recipient had been notified of such termination. If the DACA applicant refuses to sign the return receipt, he or she keeps legal status.

When the permit does expire, Immigration and Customs Enforcement could go to the listed address. I am a former immigration enforcement officer and have experience going to the last listed address. Most of the time, the illegal alien moves and doesn’t leave a forwarding address. I’m sure ICE will have more important things to do. Those who applied for DACA have little to fear because of their decision.

This story was originally published November 25, 2016 at 3:08 PM with the headline "Young people who applied for DACA have little to fear."