4 Years Later: Lives Built By DACA at Risk in 2016 Elections

Chyno · 06-17-2016, 06:53 AM

Good job on selecting Hillary as our future nominee

Quote:

PHOENIX, Ariz. — After years burying her college diploma in a box, Angelica Gaona felt she could proudly display it after she was granted protection from deportation and given permission to work through an Obama administration program now at risk.

Wednesday marks four years since President Barack Obama announced the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program.

But the lives of more than 728,000 undocumented young immigrants — often referred to as Dreamers — that the federal government says have been approved for DACA are in a fragile state.

The prospects of Donald Trump as president have many facing the possibility he could end DACA's protection from deportation and work permits that has allowed young people like Gaona to put educations to use, find good jobs, build families and build futures.

"It does cross my mind how many people would be affected if the program were to go away," Gaona told NBC News Latino.

Gaona has been working as a teacher in Arizona while pursuing a master's degree for the past two years.

She came to the United States from Mexico when she was 7 years old. Her undocumented status had prevented her from putting to use the bachelor's degree in communication studies that she earned from Arizona State University in 2009. Instead, she had been working as a babysitter and cleaning houses.

"I didn't even hang my degree," she said. "I kept it inside a box because it made me so mad. To me, it was just a piece of paper that had no significance up until Obama announced DACA."

That announcement "brought back hope," she said.

Her lack of experience made finding a job difficult once she was approved for DACA in 2013.But she found her way to teaching when she was accepted into Teach for America, a program that trains recent college graduates to become teachers and places them in areas that have a high need for teachers. Often, the schools need teachers who speak Spanish and bilingual.

"I've always had a passion for education," Gaona said.

For the past two years, she has been teaching elementary school students in Arizona while also pursuing a master's degree in elementary education at Grand Canyon University with financial help from Teach for America. She graduated in April.

She has since applied for legal residency status, which she can now obtain through her husband who is a U.S. citizen. Until she is granted legal permanent residency, however, her DACA status is what keeps all her work from being yanked away.

Because Obama authorized the DACA program through executive action, the future of recipients remains uncertain, subject to the outcome of the next presidential election and the next Congress.

Trump, the GOP's presumptive nominee, has said he would rescind Obama's executive actions on immigration, which include the DACA program. Meanwhile the Democrat's presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton has said she would not only support and keep the DACA program, she would go further than Obama did on immigration.

Angelica Hernandez, who was 9 years old when she came to Arizona from Mexico with her family, is another Dreamer flourishing under DACA.

Hernandez was just about to start graduate school at Stanford University in California when DACA was announced. Once approved, she was able to work as a teaching assistant while pursuing a master's degree in engineering. After graduating in June 2014, she moved back to Arizona and now works as a project engineer.

Her husband Juan Amaya is also a DACA recipient and an engineer. The Phoenix couple recently became parents and purchased a home.

Link

IamAman · 06-18-2016, 12:14 PM

You do realize the irony in your statement given that Hillary is the only candidate who wants to continue DACA while your buddy Trump is going to write it off on his first day.

Pianoswithoutfaith · 06-18-2016, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IamAman

You do realize the irony in your statement given that Hillary is the only candidate who wants to continue DACA while your buddy Trump is going to write it off on his first day.

And you do realize Chyno here is a fake planted here to lure people into supporting trump right?

Chyno · 06-18-2016, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IamAman

You do realize the irony in your statement given that Hillary is the only candidate who wants to continue DACA while your buddy Trump is going to write it off on his first day.

Show me proof where he said he will write it off on day one.

IamAman · 06-19-2016, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chyno

Show me proof where he said he will write it off on day one.

Did you even read your own article? Ok, if you want to be literal about it, he hasn't said from day one. He's just made his entire campaign out of his support of deporting people, building walls, and not allowing certain people in.

Chyno · 06-20-2016, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IamAman

Did you even read your own article? Ok, if you want to be literal about it, he hasn't said from day one. He's just made his entire campaign out of his support of deporting people, building walls, and not allowing certain people in.

Did you even read what I asked? I said from day one.

You have to be literal around here because crooekd Hilary supporters just spread lies.

So you admit you are a liar? He never said from day one.

Thank you or admitting you are a liar.

IamAman · 06-20-2016, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chyno

Did you even read what I asked? I said from day one.

You have to be literal around here because crooekd Hilary supporters just spread lies.

So you admit you are a liar? He never said from day one.

Thank you or admitting you are a liar.

I just didn't want to waste time arguing with a troll but ok, you wanted a quote, here is your quote:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/...b0688701dbfb29

Quote:

Donald Trump Repeats Vows To Revoke Obama’s Executive Orders

Actually, it turns out he did exactly say he was going to do it on his first day:

Quote:

Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump said Wednesday he would undo President Barack Obama’s executive orders on his first day in office.

“The good thing about an executive order — I walk in, sign, I don’t have to go through Congress,” Trump said at a large rally in Mesa, Arizona.

“I mean, Obama does it,” he added, garnering cheers and applause from the audience.

Pianoswithoutfaith · 06-20-2016, 12:33 PM

Watch out Iamaman he might be like

"Show me where he said DACA he just said executive order"

Chyno · 06-22-2016, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IamAman

I just didn't want to waste time arguing with a troll but ok, you wanted a quote, here is your quote:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/...b0688701dbfb29

Actually, it turns out he did exactly say he was going to do it on his first day:

There is no quote of him saying it just the writer saying he will do it on day one.

Also, you should be banned for being xenophobic towards Mexicans as well as piano who thinks it is a childless useless drama that people are being xenophobic towards Mexicans

IamAman · 06-22-2016, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chyno

There is no quote of him saying it just the writer saying he will do it on day one.

Also, you should be banned for being xenophobic towards Mexicans as well as piano who thinks it is a childless useless drama that people are being xenophobic towards Mexicans

How far do you want to dig yourself in this hole?

To your other point, I don't think people who come to this country, and especially illegals should be flying their home country's flag in the streets. I stand by that fully.

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4 Years Later: Lives Built By DACA at Risk in 2016 Elections