Dreamers Make Emergency Plans Amid Vows to Deport Unauthorized Immigrants
Washington, D.C. – As the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program faces an uncertain future, hundreds of thousands of young undocumented immigrants, known as “Dreamers,” are racing against the clock to make emergency plans for their own safety and well-being.
On January 13, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he plans to phase out the program, which has allowed nearly 800,000 young immigrants to live and work in the United States without fear of deportation. The move has sent shockwaves of panic and fear throughout the country.
Many of the Dreamers, who were brought to the U.S. as children, are now grappling with uncertainty and anxiety about their future. They are scrambling to find new ways to support themselves, including starting to save money, research new job opportunities, and figure out how to secure new identification documents.
The Trump administration has given Congress a six-month window to pass a replacement law for the program, and lawmakers are working to strike a deal on the issue. However, the clock is ticking for the Dreamers, who are watching their lives hang in the balance.
In the meantime, many are taking precautions to prepare for the worst. Some are secretly applying for renewals of their permits, while others are packing their bags and making plans to leave the country if the program is ended.
“I’m preparing to leave the country, I have no idea what’s going to happen,” said 23-year-old Diana, a California resident who has been living in the U.S. without legal status since she was 5 years old. “I’m trying to make the best of this situation, but it’s really tough.”
The current number of Dreamers is approximately 800,000, with tens of thousands more who have been shielded from deportation through other programs. According to the Pew Research Center, more than half of DACA recipients are employed, with 15% working in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math). Others are pursuing higher education, volunteering, or starting their own businesses.
As the fate of the program hangs in the balance, many are left wondering what will happen if the program is dismantled. The Trump administration has stated that the program is unfair to those who entered the country illegally, but advocates for the program say that the Dreamers have always been a critical part of the country’s economic and social fabric.
Government officials have also received widespread criticism for the lack of transparency and empathy shown towards the Dreamers. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other groups have urged the administration to preserve the program and grant permanent status to the Dreamers, who were brought to the country as children.
In the meantime, many are holding out hope that a permanent solution can be found, allowing the “Dreamers” to continue living and working in the United States.