Dreams on Hold

Jessica Rojas was born in Mexico but grew up in Chicago, Illinois. She was brought to the United States at age 5 by her ­parents, who crossed the border illegally in search of a better life.

Today, Rojas is one of about 800,000 recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Former President Barack Obama created DACA in 2012 to protect undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children from being deported.

Rojas excelled in school and went on to college. After graduating last year, she got a job at a Chicago utility company. But now the life Rojas has built in the U.S. is in jeopardy.

On September 5, White House officials announced that President Donald Trump would end DACA on March 5—unless Congress passes new legislation to make it part of federal law. At press time, a deal between the president and congressional leaders was under discussion.

“I have a love for these people,” Trump said, referring to DACA recipients. However, he and other lawmakers say Obama overstepped his authority by creating DACA without congressional approval.

“Hopefully now Congress will be able to help [DACA recipients] and do it properly,” Trump said.

Jessica Rojas was born in Mexico, but she grew up in Chicago, Illinois. Her parents brought her to the United States at age 5. They crossed the border illegally in search of a better life.

Today, Rojas is one of about 800,000 recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Former President Barack Obama created DACA in 2012. The program protects undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children from being deported.

Thanks to her DACA status, Rojas was able to attend college. After graduating last year, she got a job at a Chicago utility company. But now the life Rojas has built in the U.S. is in danger.

On September 5, White House officials announced that President Donald Trump would end DACA on March 5, unless Congress passes legislation to make it part of federal law.

“I have a love for these people,” Trump said, referring to DACA recipients. However, he and other lawmakers say Obama overstepped his authority. Obama created DACA without Congressional approval.

“Hopefully now Congress will be able to help [DACA recipients] and do it properly,” Trump said.

Americans have been debating immigration for centuries. Today, many people are opposed to the presence of the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country. However, some people feel that DACA recipients are a special case because they didn’t decide to come here. They were brought here by their parents when they were children.

Lawmakers seemed close to reaching a solution for this group, known as Dreamers, in 2010. At the time, Congress was considering a measure called the Dream Act, which would have made citizenship possible for people brought to the U.S. illegally as children. But Congress didn’t pass the measure.

In 2012, President Obama took matters into his own hands. He issued an executive order, now known as DACA, temporarily protecting from deportation young people who’d been brought to the country illegally as children. Those who qualify for DACA protection have renewable two-year permits to work in the U.S.

Now, for people like Rojas, the future looks uncertain. “It’s scary,” she says. “Because of DACA, I was able to come this far.”

Americans have been debating immigration for centuries. Today, many people don’t like the fact that 11 million undocumented immigrants live in the country. However, some people think that DACA recipients are a special case because they did not decide to come here. Their parents brought them here when they were children. Some were even brought here as infants. 

Lawmakers seemed close to reaching a solution for this group, known as Dreamers, in 2010. At the time, Congress was considering a measure called the Dream Act. This act would have made citizenship possible for people brought to the U.S. illegally as children. But Congress did not pass the measure. 

In 2012, President Obama took matters into his own hands. He issued an executive order, now known as DACA. It temporarily protected young people who had been brought to the country illegally as children from being deported. Those who qualify for DACA have renewable two-year permits to work in the U.S. Thousands of DACA recipients have also gone on to attend college and start businesses.

Now, for people like Rojas, the future looks uncertain. “It’s scary,” she says. “Because of DACA, I was able to come this far.”

On the campaign trail, Trump promised tougher polices on illegal immigration, a plan that included building a wall along the U.S.-­Mexico border and ending DACA. However, he seemed to have softened his stance on the program since taking office, referring to DACA recipients as “incredible kids.”

The Dreamers have a great deal to lose. Without DACA status, they could be fired from their jobs. They could also be deported and, in many cases, separated from their families. A recent survey shows that 73 percent of DACA recipients have at least one relative who’s a U.S. citizen.

On the campaign trail, Trump promised tougher polices on illegal immigration. His plan included building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and ending DACA. However, he seemed to have softened his stance on the program since taking office. He refers to DACA recipients as “incredible kids.”

The Dreamers have a great deal to lose. Without DACA status, they could be fired from their jobs. They could also be deported and separated from their families. A recent survey shows that 73 percent of DACA recipients have at least one relative who is a U.S. citizen.

Any chance of protecting the Dreamers now lies with Congress. Shielding the young immigrants from deportation is something many Republicans and Democrats say they want. If the lawmakers can work together on immigration reform, Congress could pass a more lasting solution than DACA.

That gives people like Marcela Zhou hope. The DACA recipient is a third-year medical student at the University of California, Los Angeles.

“I am confident I will become a doctor one day,” she says. “The road may be longer and bumpier, but we will get there.”

Any chance of protecting the Dreamers now lies with Congress. Protecting the young immigrants from deportation is something that many Republicans and Democrats say they want. If the lawmakers can work together on immigration reform, Congress could pass a more lasting solution than DACA.

That gives people like Marcela Zhou hope. The DACA recipient is a third-year medical student at the University of California, Los Angeles.

“I am confident I will become a doctor one day,” she says. “The road may be longer and bumpier, but we will get there.”