In June of 2012, President Obama introduced Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a program that provides undocumented youth with temporary protection from deportation and permission to work legally in the US. There are 11.1 million immigrants in the US who are undocumented, 2.1 million of whom entered the country as children under the age of 16. Because of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Plyler v. Doe (1982), undocumented children attend public schools where they have the same rights to education as their citizen peers. As children, they grow up perceiving that legal status has little to no effect on their chances in life. However, by adolescence and early adulthood they become acutely aware that their legal status has significant implications for social mobility. As these youth enter adulthood, they find that they cannot legally work, vote, receive federal financial aid, or drive in most states—and deportation looms as a constant threat.

DACA may provide new mobility opportunities for undocumented youth people. Indeed, some data suggests that since getting DACA, many undocumented youth have found a new job, obtained a driver’s license, opened their first bank account and applied for a credit card. That is, although DACA does not provide a path to citizenship, it has catalyzed social and economic integration for many of these young people. Yet, in certain contexts the effects of DACA may not be as beneficial—particularly in states with harsh anti-immigrant laws. How do DACA recipients in these contexts leverage their new protected status to attain better jobs and higher education?

Based on 50 in-depth interviews with DACA recipients in South Carolina, this study explores how DACA conditions the social and economic integration of undocumented young adults. South Carolina has one of the fastest growing immigrant populations in the country, as well as some of the most restrictive immigrant integration policies in the nation. It is one of only two states that prohibit undocumented immigrants from attending public colleges and institutions, for example, and unlike 17 other states where DACA recipients are eligible for in-state tuition, those in South Carolina must pay out-of-state tuition rates.

Because DACA is so recent, few studies have focused on how it is shaping the life chances for young people. This study contributes by exploring the impact of DACA in a region of the country where immigrants encounter unique obstacles to getting ahead. Findings contribute to our understanding of immigrant policy implementation and are relevant for practitioners and policymakers across a range of institutions.