Jose and I in Uncertainty

Though we tremble before uncertain futures — May we meet illness, death, and adversity with strength — May we dance in the face of our fears. Borderlands/ La Frontera by Gloria Anzaldua

Jose Vargas narrates his life story of being undocumented in the United States facing several complex battles along his life. He demonstrates the exhausting problems connected to being undocumented ranging from the systemic barriers placed to the mental hardships. While the limitation and hardships on Jose’s professional, Social, and mental development in relation to similar experience of my own, also proceeding to a new era of Deferal Action of Children Arrivals (DACA) and Undocumented youth.

Those who trespass into the United States in plans to have a better future are welcomed with obstacles and hardships manufactured by systemic barriers. After having the costly opportunity to enter the United States many come with little to no items and are forced to live within poverty until they’re able to find a job that resorts to illegal employment. Entering a country illegally typically comes with the little ability to obtain a social security number — limiting many to meet the requirement of a social security identification for employment. Without the ability to have a social security number, many are forced to work in undesirable conditions or extremely laborious jobs. When it comes to employment, some may say that an undocumented individual can become a consultant or have their own business, but many fail to account the amount of capital and labor dedicated into producing a business when you are dealing with few resources. In order to carry through a business as an undocumented, one must have financial resources to pay for fees of creating a business; time to get through countless paperwork and forms; and some sense of directions or understanding in the United States policies. These frictions to finding financial security when being undocumented creates this feasible reality of being in financial burden without a form of loophole or undesirable option. Those who live in financial hardships, and have the opportunity to obtain K-12 education are provided with more obstacles from institutions. Similar to Jose Vargas, when it comes to undocumented youth graduating from high school, they instead find ways to work to mitigate the financial burden associated with the liberty of employment and cost of attending higher education. In my graduating high school class, I was the only undocumented scholar to attend a private institution; despite reaching my goals, there are still several hardships to attending higher education. With financial insecurities and having to attend school where money is required, one must have a method to pay for high education; thus, making it difficult for undocumented scholars to continue in higher education because of the financial barriers created from the financial insecurities originating from employment hardships.

In 2001, a proposal was brought up by U.S Senator Dick Durbin and Orrin Hatch, called the Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors Act (the DREAM Act. The act was intended to pave a pathway for legal status for those who came to the United States illegally at a young age by their parents; however, the bill was never passed. Before the DREAM Act, there were not many legislation to help undocumented students like Jose and I — leaving millions of children to live under the shadows. In 2012, U.S President, Barack Obama, signed the administrative relief called Deferred Actions for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) by August 2012 applications were being accepted. DACA allowed temporary employment permit for undocumented youth but no pathway to citizenship.

Now, after the publication of Mr.Antonio Vargas’ article, DACA and its integrity are put into the chopping block. In 2017, a year in Trump’s Presidential term, he made an effort on terminating DACA. Despite his actions, On June 18, 2020, the court ruled 4–5 in opposition of Trump’s decision on the termination of DACA. Most recently, there’s been a termination for first time applicants and more dialogues surrounding the removal of renewals. Within a decade, there has been several movement that has harm and broken down the small relief for undocumented youth in America with many being stripped for their opportunity to find employment and financial stability.

Today, when talking to members of my community, several do not know the current status of assistance for undocumented youth in the United States, while others believe that policies like DACA is enough to sustain our progress. The last decade has only proven the necessity and lack of attention the undocumented community receives. When working to fight for change, it feels as if one must be appreciative of what has been done, but it’s simply not enough when I fear the uncertainty of my future, especially when I am uncertain for what’s to come each semester knowing that there is a high possibility I may not be where I am — home.