Leave Them Here without Status
The last option is to return to the practice followed for decades prior to the second Trump administration of neither actively seeking to deport those who arrived here as children (except the most dangerous among them) nor granting them legal status.
The Case For
Few make a strong affirmative argument for having those who arrived here as children stay here without status. Instead, some simply observe that it is the only realistic option given the challenges of agreeing as a nation on who to deport and who to grant status, and the cost and complexities of implementing anything that we could agree on.
The Case Against
From those most opposed to immigration to those most supportive of it, the vast majority oppose leaving those who arrived as children without legal status because they see it as an unsatisfactory compromise in the face of political gridlock. As with the DREAM Act, staunch restrictionists argue that not seeking to deport this group is too lenient, would encourage more illegal crossings, and would weaken the rule of law. Immigration advocates also make arguments similar to those against the DREAM Act, noting that many who arrived as children had no choice in coming and should not be permanently barred from living here legally.