Dreaming of Leaving the Nest? Immigration Status and the Living Arrangements of DACAmented / Rania Gihleb, Osea Giuntella, Jakub Lonsky.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gihleb, Rania.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

Giuntella, Osea.

Lonsky, Jakub.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w31117.

NBER working paper series no. w31117

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2023.

Summary:

This study investigates the effects of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) on the living arrangements and housing behavior of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. Using an event-study approach and difference-in-differences (DID) estimates, we compared immigrants above and below eligibility cutoffs and demonstrated that, after the adoption of the policy in June 2012, DACA-eligible immigrants were less likely to live with their parents or in multigenerational households (-12.5%) and more likely to live independently (+15.5%). We also revealed that DACA-eligible immigrants were less likely to live in the same house (-2%) and more likely to quit ethnic enclaves (+8%). Notably, these patterns are not explained by the known effects of DACA on income and employment outcomes. Lower rental costs (-3%) may have facilitated this transition into adulthood and the observed trends in living arrangements. The DACA also led to a decline in marriage rates among DACA-eligible individuals, although we found no evidence of significant effects on cohabitation, divorce, and intermarriage. We also found no evidence of a clear impact on fertility.

Notes:

Print version record

April 2023.