Pathways to Integration: A Social Network Analysis of Multidimensional Barriers of Daca Recipients

Background and Purpose: This study aims to address a significant gap in understanding the economic integration challenges faced by Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. With over 600,000 DACA recipients in the U.S., many of whom live in mixed-status families, these individuals often face a unique set of barriers to well-being shaped by immigration policies. These policies can impede their access to diverse opportunities and social supports, effectively hindering their economic integration. Using social network analysis, our research aims to map the multidimensional barriers created by changes in DACA policy, focusing on their impact on economic integration.

Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search of electronic databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. We used keywords related to DACA, which were extracted from the abstracts and keyword sections suggested by the authors. Our search focused on articles published between 2012 and 2024, and we excluded non-peer-reviewed articles and non-English publications. In the end, we included 343 studies and 947 keywords in our final analysis, extracting those keywords that appeared five or more times. We used R Studio to perform a keyword network analysis, focusing on centrality measures such as degree centrality, closeness centrality, and betweenness centrality.

Results: The findings emphasize the evolving recognition of multifaceted barriers within DACA policy that affect the economic integration of DACA recipients, spanning legal, health, and educational dimensions. Prior to 2016, research primarily focused on ‘Policy,’ ‘Education,’ and ‘Legalization,’ reflecting a comprehensive approach to understanding the legal framework of DACA and its educational policy implications. From 2016 to 2019, ‘Healthcare’ emerged as a significant theme, indicating growing scholarly interest in the health-related challenges faced by DACA recipients. Additionally, the theme ‘Crisis’ appeared, suggesting the increased urgency and complexity of accessing social support services. Since 2019, themes such as ‘Eligibility’ and ‘Employment’ have gained prominence, indicating a shift towards the economic facets of integration. The heightened relevance of ‘Covid-19’ between 2023 and 2024 underscores the profound impact of global health crises on DACA recipients, underscoring the need for inclusive policies to mitigate these effects.

Conclusions and Implications: The study highlights the growing awareness of the complex challenges DACA recipients face, transitioning from a focus primarily on legal and educational aspects to broader health and economic considerations. This shift reflects a more comprehensive approach to integration. The consistently high centrality scores for 'Policy' underscore the significant role of policy interventions in shaping opportunities for DACA recipients. Initially, research concentrated on 'Student' and 'Education', but later expanded to include 'Employment' and 'Economic' themes, mirroring the progression of DACA recipients from education to employment and broader economic issues.

DACA policies should not only facilitate access to education and healthcare but also strengthen pathways to employment and economic stability. The prominence of terms like 'Covid-19' highlights how external shocks disproportionately impact these individuals, underscoring the need for robust social support systems to enhance resilience.