The topic of immigration has always been on the United States-Mexico agenda. American politicians have made it an effort to offer a comprehensive immigration reform that leads to citizenship but has failed to do so.
In current times, former President Barack Obama’s executive order, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), has been the closest one to present an opportunity to young undocumented immigrants, allowing them to work in the country with a legal permission and granting them immunization against deportation for up to two years.
However, his executive order was rescinded last September under President Donald Trump’s administration, giving Congress a deadline of March 5 to come up with a solution for the so-called DREAMers.
Though there is the March 5 deadline for all protections to end for these young undocumented immigrants, Trump has been unclear as to what will happen to them.
He has even mentioned that if there are no talks about a “desperately needed WALL” then there will be no deal for DACA recipients, according to his tweet early this month.
After reading Trump’s tweet, Monica Calderon (senior, Psychology) emphasized the fact that using DREAMers’s lives as leverage for his infamous wall is difficult to watch.
“I’m hoping that there will be a clean DREAM Act for the children who came here at a young age,” she said. “Thousands of lives are at stake and it’s difficult to watch the President using lives as leverage for his wall to be built.”
Crystal Guzman (senior, Nursing) expressed uncertainty about Trump’s stance regarding a comprehensive immigration reform, fearing for a last-minute decision that might not be inclusive due to its deadline quickly approaching.
“With the comprehensive immigration reform deadline quickly approaching, and after hearing the current U.S. President’s stance on certain immigration policies, I feel wary that policymakers will settle and not develop an inclusive, thorough reform,” Guzman said.
Gloria Vallin (senior, Communication Studies), Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlan (MEChA) Publicist, says that politicians and other leaders of the country should have been prepared with a plan for a comprehensive immigration reform even before the March 5 deadline.
“I believe Congress, the Senate, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, 45 (the President) and other leaders should have had a permanent solution way before the March 5 deadline,” she said. “When March 5 comes around, I hope to hear the words, ‘the clean DREAM Act has passed,’ because this will allow families to be together and not separated, students to continue their education and for individuals who work hard every day to continue their everyday routine.”
For every day that Congress does not act on a comprehensive solution for DACA recipients, 122 of them are losing their protected status, which makes 851 people each week, according to a Center for American Progress (CAP) study.
“A comprehensive immigration reform should be more of a permanent solution and not a temporary one. Yes, [it] should include the following: a pathway to citizenship, family visas and diversity visas,” Vallin said, while explaining why she did not view DACA as a comprehensive immigration reform due to it being a temporary act.
MEChA and Students for Quality Education (SQE) are currently in the talks about an action depending on the outcome of March 5.
Likewise, Vanessa Mota (senior, Psychology), a Resident Assistant (RA) at the dorms, has been in the talks with her colleagues involved in the Social Justice Community Impact Group (CIG) about offering an open discussion about the resources there is on campus for students fearing their protected status.
She also encourages everyone to be in touch with their local representatives and let them know that they are in support of a comprehensive immigration reform that helps everyone in the country.
“If no solution towards this issue is yet to be made by this date, I encourage others and myself to use our voices to aid those who may not have the same privileges and access to resources I may have since I was born in this country,” Mota said. “Contacting our representatives and reaching out to the appropriate people is what I intend to do so that more awareness so this issue comes to light to benefit many human beings.”
This past January, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced it will still be accepting renewal applications for those who have been recipients of DACA, not for new recipients, however. It is urgent to renew during this time until the March 5 deadline comes around.
For more information about the DACA renewal process, visit the DREAMers university website. In the website, documents such as DACA renewal and other aid is available for students to apply.
“To everyone out there, we must come together as one and continue pressuring Congress, Senators and other leaders to pass the clean DREAM Act now. We shall overcome these hard times. Como siempre, la lucha sigue!” Vallin said as words of encouragement for others to not feel defeated.