Guidance Reminder: About DACA And 'Dreamers' : Editorial Guidance from the Managing Editor We need to be careful when we cite figures and refer to those in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

Guidance Reminder: About DACA And 'Dreamers'

When reporting about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, it's important to be careful when citing some figures and terms. Here's a reminder:

  • There are currently about 700,000 DACA recipients. That's the number to focus on when talking about how many people would be affected. The program peaked around 800,000.
  • There are an estimated 3 to 4 million people who came to the country as children and are here illegally (the "Dreamers").
  • Politicians and advocates often refer to DACA recipients simply as Dreamers. As you see, DACA recipients are actually a subset of those known as Dreamers. We can, though, say that DACA recipients are "commonly known as" or "commonly referred to as" or "often called" Dreamers.