Since President Donald Trump took office, many groups have been watching closely for his next move as commander in chief. One group in particular are the students who were illegally brought to the country as children, known as “Dreamers”. The fate of these students, whether they remain in the country or not, is in Trump’s hands. Some of those students attend City College.
Trump’s campaign foundation was primarily built on his stance on immigration. He promised to build a wall to stop illegal immigration from Mexico as well as to “terminate immediately” a 2012 executive order signed by President Obama to temporarily protect eligible young people from deportation, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
DACA allows eligible immigrant youth who meet a strict set of guidelines to legally work in the country, as well as relief from deportation for two years. DACA requires that its recipients have not been convicted of a felony or serious misdemeanor and do not pose a threat to our national security.
“Trump said that they will focus on deporting criminals who are in the [U.S.] illegally, but there is no clarification on what falls under his ‘criminal’ category,” said a first-year City College Dreamer student, who wished to remain anonymous.
To qualify for DACA, a person must have lived in the U.S. continuously since June 15, 2007, be at least 15 years old, be a current student, a high school graduate or a GED recipient or an honorably discharged military veteran.
As of last week, officials at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency that receives the applications and issues the work permits, were still accepting and processing applications, agency spokesman Steve Blando said in an email.
In his first week of office, Trump set forth plans to build a wall on the U.S. and Mexico border and signed executive orders blocking immigrants from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the U.S. However, Trump’s executive orders last week did not include the fate of DACA and its recipients.
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Spicer said during the first press briefing of the Trump Administration, the president will prioritize working on building a border wall, a stronger system of electronic verification of legal status in workplaces and defunding sanctuary cities, such as San Francisco.
“They shouldn’t be very worried,” Trump told ABC News. “I do have a big heart. We’re going to take care of everybody. Where you have great people that are here that have done a good job, they should be far less worried.”
Trump’s new softer tone on Dreamers is not a relief for most undocumented students as they also worry about the fate of their family members who do not qualify for protections from deportation.
“I am relieved that Trump plans on working something out for us, but my parents would not qualify,” said the City College Dreamer student. “I worry about what might happen to them. They are the ones who brought me to this country and have worked hard to earn an honest living. Dreamers are not the only undocumented folk who deserve a chance at immigration reform.”
City College, the Los Rios Community College District and California Gov. Jerry Brown have stated their support for Dreamers.
Trump advocates and opponents on are expecting a compromise in which the president will most likely end DACA, but work with Congress on a solution that allows DACA recipients to stay and work in the country.