Coming into the United States illegally as a child can be a travesty. Millions of children are brought into the U.S. by their parents to give them a better life, a chance at living the “American dream”. In order for them to attend school or work, they must first obtain their Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (D.A.C.A.) card.
DACA, a program started by former president Barack Obama in June 2012, allows certain undocumented immigrants in the U.S. who entered the country as minors to receive a renewable two-year period card that prevents them from deportation and grants them eligibility for a work permit.
Obtaining a DACA card for either school or work purposes is a lengthy and stressful process. According to the Visa Now Global Immigration website, the application process used to take four to six months when they first started taking applicants. The process can now take up to at least seven or eight months due to a higher volume of applicants.
The Process
For Alondra Santacruz, 21, of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, the procedure was very stressful.
“The process of waiting is the worst part. It’s nerve wrecking not knowing if it’ll get accepted or denied,” Santacruz said. “Next year, I have to renew again, and knowing that as of June 2016, 60,296 people have been denied and 43,121 are pending, makes it all the more stressful.”
Santacruz has been a DACA student and worker for three years now. She first was granted her DACA card in Aug. 2013.
When Santacruz first applied, she was in the process of completing high school.
“The first time I applied, my parents paid $465 and I waited eight months,” Santacruz said. “I was still in high school and I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to go to college. I graduated not knowing what I would do.”
Three months after graduation, she received good news, but made a last-minute decision. She said her parents were struggling, so she made the choice to use her card to work instead of going to school in order to help them out financially.
For Jesus Robles, 21, of Saltillo, Coahuila, things were similar but different. Robles has been a DACA student and worker since the age of 18. He has been working and studying in the U.S. for three years. For Robles, the application process was a different experience.
“My mother does most of the paperwork, but I saw how expensive it was,” Robles said. “I feel that it takes a lot of patience and that can be hard for some people, as not everyone has the same patience tolerance.”
When Robles received his card, he decided he wanted to study and work at the same time.
“When I finally obtained my DACA card, I obtained an identity,” Robles said. “I would finally be able to work and make money for myself while attending university.”
Robles made this his top priority when he obtained his card. “My first goal when I received my DACA card at 18 was to get a job. I am now 21 and have been working ever since I moved to Edinburg for school.”
Applying for a DACA card was difficult at first for Nallely Rodriguez, 19, of San Fernando, Tamaulipas. Rodriguez talks about the struggle of gathering proof showing that she has indeed been living here for many years.
“The process of obtaining a DACA card and gathering the paperwork is a difficult one. So much money is put in to such a difficult process,” said Rodriguez. “When you first file your paperwork, you have to present enough documents from every year since you arrived to the U.S. and it can be quite difficult to find all the paperwork from so many years before.”
Not only is finding paperwork from so many years back difficult for Rodriguez, but so is dealing with authorities. “The amount of money paid can be such a hassle not only for obtaining the permit, but paying for a lawyer, which makes it all the more stressful.”
Life in the U.S.
Santacruz came into the U.S. when she was only six years old. She has been living in the country for 15 years now. “Coming to the U.S. at such a young age and not knowing what was going on was quite confusing as a child.” Santacruz was born in Matamoros, Tamaulipas and had been living in Brownsville for the past 15 years before recently moving to San Benito seven months ago.
When asked if she felt treated like a U.S. citizen, Santacruz had a surprising response.
“No, I know I am not a U.S. citizen and in my opinion I shouldn’t feel like being treated as one.” Santacruz thanks her parents for the opportunity at having a better life and does not feel she should be treated as an American citizen.
“I came here because my parents decided to give my family and I a better life,” Santacruz said. “And I was given the opportunity to be able to keep working here legally, and for that, I am grateful.”
Every DACA student or worker has a different experience coming into the United States. Some will finish school and go work right after. Others will drop out, get their General Education Development (GED) certificate and go work. There are also the ones who finish high school and continue their education by going to college, and work at the same time.
Things were different for Robles. Moving here shortly after he was born, he was not able to grow up in Mexico before arriving to the U.S. He was raised in San Benito, Texas beginning a couple of months after his birth.
When asked if he felt like a U.S. citizen, his response was different from Santacruz.
“Since I only speak English and lack an accent, I feel that others perceive me as someone who is already a U.S. citizen.” His trips to the Immigration office were always filled with surprise from the employees. “The few times I have been to an immigration services office, I feel as if they don’t expect me to know English. I have seen the surprised look on the employees’ faces when I say I don’t know Spanish very well.”
Just like Santacruz, Rodriguez made the journey to the U.S. when she was six years old. Before coming to the U.S., Rodriguez was raised in a small town called La Piedra, also located in the Tamaulipas area. She came to the U.S. around 2003. She has been living in Pasadena, Texas which is within the Houston – The Woodlands – Sugar Land metropolitan area.
Living in the U.S. for the past 14 years, Rodriguez feels she has the protection the U.S. provides, but doesn’t fully feel like a U.S. citizen.
“I definitely feel protected and secured, but I cannot necessarily say that I feel treated like a U.S. citizen,” Rodriguez said. “A U.S. citizen can travel outside the country, but I cannot unless I get a permit that will allow me to study abroad.”
The Benefits
Being a DACA student or worker comes with its benefits. As long as you don’t commit any crimes, you are good to stay in the country and study or work as long as you have a valid DACA card. According to the United We Dream organization website, some of the benefits to being “DACA-Mented” include the following: get a social security number, get a job with benefits (healthcare), being able to help out your family financially, getting a driver’s license (in some states), apply for a credit card, and become politically active. The main use, however, tends to be being able to get an education and a job.
Robles decided is now currently attending the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and is pursuing a Bachelor’s in Arts in public relations.
“I am currently a senior at UTRGV,” Robles said. “Apart from studying, I am also a lead mentor with the E.P.I.C. program at my campus.”
Robles is grateful for the opportunity not only to work, but also continue his education and pursue his dream in working in the public relations field.
“If I was never a DACA student, I would have never joined a group of students across America who only want to make a difference in how we are viewed as a people,” Robles said. “That in itself is the greatest reward.”
Rodriguez is currently a sophomore at San Jacinto Community College Central, located in the greater Houston area. Although she is only a sophomore, Rodriguez has already declared her major.
She said she wants to study education to be able to teach others, and is grateful for the benefits that DACA has provided for her in regards to continuing her education and being able to receive financial aid.
“I could have continued my education either way, but it would have been more difficult because obtaining a job to save money would have been almost impossible, especially not having the Texas Application for Student Financial Aid – also known as TASFA — in my reach,” Rodriguez said. “I would say that DACA has definitely helped me a lot financially in regards to continuing my education.”
The End of DACA?
Photo by Madison Adler/Cronkite News – Laura Reyes holds up an Arizona state flag at a DACA/DAPA rally in Phoenix, Arizona on April 28, to have her voice be heard on how DACA will help her and her siblings pay in-state-tuition for college.
On Nov. 9, Donald Trump won the United States presidential election. With his election came talk about revoking DACA.
For these three students and workers, that is the thing they fear the most, because they believe it is possible. Santacruz mentions how she worries about this every day.
“I am worried. I think about it all the time while driving to work, but whatever happens, happens,” she said. “The only thing I want is to be with my family. I came here with them and I guess if it comes to that, then I’ll leave with them.”
After reading an article on WBUR’s website about how revoking DACA would satisfy some people but worry others, Robles had some opinions of his own about some of the responders.
“It was interesting to see the point of view of someone who feels DACA is a burden, Mark Krikorian, and someone who is a recipient, Zuleima Dominguez,” Robles said. “Both have strong reasons for their point of view. Krikorian believes that many DACA recipients shouldn’t have been given it [the DACA card] in the first place, since they came on their conscious decisions and believes those who came before the age of 7, like me, deserve amnesty.”
Robles agrees with Dominguez when she says that this brings more opportunity for the lives of these families to be changed forever. “This will especially allow them to go to school and apply for aid and scholarships.”
The election results caused worry for Rodriguez, who said that having the majority of Congress being Republicans would make it more probable for President Trump to remove DACA.
“I do fear every day since Nov. 9, that something like removing DACA is going to happen,” Rodriguez said. “Trump won the presidential election and congress has a majority of Republicans now, meaning the probability of DACA ending is very high. All I have is hope that congress can see the advantages the DACA program brings to the country in terms of economy and education.”