Possible DACA Repeal Leaves Students Distressed
When Jennifer Aguirre was an 18-year-old freshman in college, her biggest concern was the possibility of marrying her then-boyfriend. Most freshman in college would cringe at the thought of this, but it was her reality. She considered this in fear of her boyfriend being deported back to Uruguay in the future.
Aguirre reflected on this time in her life, and the disbelief in her face showed just how difficult it was to carry that burden almost three years ago. She is now a junior at Montclair State University and majors in Psychology.
“I’m Ecuadorian. I was born here, but immigration is no stranger to me,” she explained as she looked down to collect her thoughts.
Her ex-boyfriend, Santiago, requested that his last name not be used. At three years old, his parents brought him and his siblings to the United States on a visa with the intention of giving their family a better life. They ended up losing their visa after overstaying their visit — which quickly became a concern.
“For my ex, anything he did, he did it with fear of being deported,” she explained. “On top of this, he had no health insurance. Every time he was sick, we would hope for the best because he couldn’t go to a doctor. He couldn’t afford to pay for the fees out of pocket. His mother also took years of physical abuse from his father and they couldn’t report it in fear of being deported.”
Eventually when the Obama administration put DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) in place, it gave thousands of immigrants a chance at being the Americans they felt they were.
“When DACA was introduced in 2012, it was a great feeling,” Aguirre said, “He was able to get his studies done and get his license and work permit. It made a huge positive impact in his life because it was a step forward for him. He was so happy when he could finally feel like a real American — even though he had been living here his whole life,” a smile came across her face when she gave thought to this.
However, this good feeling for DACA recipients was short lived. When President Trump took office in 2017, this feeling went from good to extremely bad.
“Everyone I know that is a DACA recipient is now on edge because of Trump. It’s stressful for college students that are balancing work and school,” she said. “So many people think that these people are getting everything handed to them.”
For people like Santiago, keeping their status as DACA recipients is not an easy job. She explained that every two years, you must renew it — but it comes at a costly price. Having a high school diploma, or being enrolled in school are essential components to receiving this. She reminded me that DACA fees were not the only thing he had to pay for.
“It wasn’t the only expense in his life, but it was the most important. He had to borrow from me multiple times to pay for DACA, because without it he wouldn’t have anything,” she explained with a shrug. “Some people pay thousands to have someone renew their DACA for them, but he couldn’t afford that. So on top of being a college student, he has to worry about whether he’ll be sent back to a country he doesn’t know or not.”
The plan to marry Santiago may have changed, but this is not something that has been easily swept under the rug. The current political situation in America is a constant reminder of Aguirre’s past.
“I think about if Trump actually does what he says he’s going to do. What will my ex do?,” Aguirre contemplated the thought for a brief moment. “He barely knows Spanish. He will be homeless, alone, and everything he worked for will be for nothing.”
The two do not talk often, but can still connect on this issue.
“DACA has helped so many people in this country,” Santiago stated, “I was really struggling and depressed before DACA because I didn’t know what was gonna happen in the future. I was scared for me and my family.”
He expressed to Jennifer that DACA made him feel like he belonged here.
“It gave me hope and strength to push myself to the limit,” Santiago said.
Jennifer may be one of the lucky ones that do not have to deal with this issue, but the stress of it certainly does not pass her by. “You have to have someone close to you that is dealing with this to understand what they go through,” she said. “I hope that one-day people that agree with Trump can see that they’re hard working people just like you and I.”
