“I’m in a Good Position to Advocate Now”: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Recipients’ Deployment of Navigational Capital and Brokerage in the D.C. Metropolitan Region

Abstract

During its decade-plus of existence, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) has concretely changed recipients’ incorporation trajectories and facilitated their transition into adulthood. Because it was established by Executive Order, though, DACA has always had an uncertain future. Since 2017, DACA recipients have endured a rollercoaster of lawsuits and court decisions that have evoked profound psychological distress. Yet during this time, they have also developed strategies for negotiating ongoing uncertainty and promoting immigrants’ collective well-being. We present results from a longitudinal (2016–2021) study of DACA recipients in the D.C. Metropolitan region, which encompasses multiple jurisdictions with different local policies. Applying a community cultural wealth (CCW) framework, we demonstrate that DACA recipients have become adept at leveraging place-based navigational capital into everyday acts of brokerage performed for more legally precarious family and community members. DACA recipients promote collective well-being specifically by brokering access to services, promoting household security, and developing innovative advocacy strategies. Results underscore the importance of policies to address immigrants’ exclusion at multiple levels and to ensure that DACA recipients are able to continue performing these critical acts of brokerage.