Harris campaign shared study showing advantages of not deporting illegal immigrants.

In a groundbreaking revelation, it has been uncovered that then-Senator Kamala Harris’s 2019 presidential campaign website highlighted the potential electoral impact of not deporting certain illegal immigrants. The study referenced on her website emphasized the significant contributions these policies could make to the margin of victory in crucial swing states.

Harris’s campaign platform aimed to provide a “new roadmap to citizenship for Dreamers,” a term used to refer to undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States as children. Her proposal included a pathway to citizenship for those who entered the country unlawfully, as well as safeguards against deportation for the parents of American citizens and holders of green cards.

According to her campaign website, the plan was projected to shield over 6 million immigrants from deportation, boost the U.S. GDP by up to $445 billion over a decade, and offer a path to citizenship for the nation’s 2.1 million Dreamers, provided they met the necessary criteria for status adjustment set by Congress.

Vice President Kamala Harris has continually advocated for a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, demonstrating her commitment to immigration reform.

The website connected to studies conducted by the Center for American Progress, including research on the DAPA program initiated during the Obama administration. DAPA, an accompaniment to the DACA program for childhood arrivals, was later ruled unconstitutional.

Despite this setback, a study from 2015 not only underscored the economic benefits of DAPA but also highlighted its potential impact on elections should these individuals be protected from deportation.

The study pointed out that there are 3.7 million people who would benefit from DAPA, with 5.5 million U.S. citizen children among them. It emphasized that more than half a million of these children, almost 600,000, are currently of voting age, and a staggering 1.7 million will reach voting age by the 2020 presidential election. The data suggested that these numbers could significantly influence the margin of victory in swing states.

For instance, the study indicated that in the 2012 presidential election in Florida, these new voters could have accounted for 70% of the margin of victory, while in North Carolina, they would have constituted one-third of the margin of victory. This calculation did not even include other citizen members of “mixed-status” households eligible for DAPA—voters who would also experience the effects of the program’s implementation.

Despite facing criticisms from opponents, Harris has remained steadfast in her support for protective measures and pathways to citizenship for undocumented individuals. The Biden administration wasted no time in introducing legislation on its first day in office, proposing a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants currently residing in the U.S.

In a recent statement, Harris reiterated the urgent need to address the broken immigration system and called for specific protections for Dreamers. She asserted that President Biden and herself continue to urge Congress to take action by enacting permanent safeguards for Dreamers.

The issue of immigration reform and the treatment of undocumented individuals remain hotly debated topics, with both supporters and critics voicing their opinions on the matter. As the conversation continues, it is essential to consider the human impact of these policies and the potential consequences for the future of the nation.