Forfeiting the Trillion-Dollar Dream: Updated Report Underscores Urgency to Protect Dreamers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 9, 2025

 

WASHINGTON, DC — Ahead of the 13th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy on June 15, the Coalition for the American Dream is highlighting new findings from its updated report, Forfeiting the Trillion Dollar Dream, which outlines the significant and ongoing economic contributions of DACA recipients across the United States.

Developed in partnership with leading economists and business organizations, the report includes refreshed data showing the vital role that more than 450,000 DACA-recipient workers and 188,000 U.S. workers in DACA-owned businesses continue to play in the U.S. workforce and economy. This data updates the key state and industry-specific findings, including:

  • Ending DACA could shrink the U.S. economy by up to $648 billion over the lifetimes of affected individuals
  • As many as 37,000 healthcare professionals, 17,000 STEM workers, and 17,000 educators could be forced out of critical industries already facing major labor shortages
  • The loss of work authorization would threaten $150 billion in state and local tax revenue over the next three decades
  • Some 300,000 U.S. citizen children in DACA recipient families could lose a parent’s income or health coverage, pushing up to 130,000 children into poverty and 115,000 having narrower access to healthcare with the loss of private health insurance.

The report’s findings underscore what is at stake as DACA remains under threat and hundreds of thousands of Dreamers continue to live in limbo without a permanent solution. The full report is available here. If you are interested in speaking to Coalition partners, or with the report authors, please reach out to the contact below.

About the Coalition for the American Dream
The Coalition for the American Dream is made up of more than 100 businesses and trade associations advocating for a permanent legislative solution for Dreamers who strengthen our economy and communities every day.