Undocumented Students on Tenterhooks

Their futures and the DACA program hang in the balance.

By Indy Staff January 19, 2017

2 min read

Undocumented Students on Tenterhooks — SUCCESS STORIES: UCSB psychology and sociology major Mario (pictured above), who asked to be identified by his first name only, is enrolled in DACA. He said his generation was more open about their undocumented status because they were mentored by those like Rene Garcia Hernandez (pictured below).

For Rene Garcia Hernandez, the Trump presidency feels like the “security blanket has been stripped off.” An undocumented 25-year-old who moved to Santa Barbara from Mexico at age 2, Garcia Hernandez is now enrolled in the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program. He received a bachelor’s degree from Cal State Northridge and now works at Santa Barbara Junior High School.

DACA is the policy President Obama initiated by executive order that authorizes young immigrants to work without fearing deportation. Minors in the country for five years who moved here before age 16 are eligible. For those who meet the criteria, they must reapply every two years. The program could be repealed by the stroke of a pen.

“If that DACA program is revoked, all of our students who benefit from it would have their ability to work jeopardized,” said Maritza Mejia-Wilson, who is a founding member of Adsum, a Santa Barbara nonprofit that has been serving undocumented students since 2010. “That is really frightening.”