DACA holders are bracing for potential upheaval.
Reyna Montoya, among other DACA recipients, faces a precarious future as President-elect Donald Trump, who previously aimed to dismantle the DACA program, prepares to assume office, ABC News reported.
Reyna Montoya, who illegally moved to the U.S. from Tijuana at age 10 and resides in Arizona, reflects a hopeful yet anxious disposition. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) granted her access to employment, healthcare, and a driver's license, reshaping her life since 2012.
Montoya, along with other DACA recipients, interprets Trump’s triumph with a degree of alarm, considering the harsh immigration policies he promoted during his previous term. "All of a sudden, all these possibilities opened up," Montoya says, recounting the doors that DACA opened for her.
Legal uncertainties loom as DACA has stopped admitting new applicants since a 2021 federal court ruling deemed it illegal. However, renewals for existing members continue, keeping hope alive for people like Montoya.
President-elect Trump’s administration had previously sought to end DACA but was thwarted by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2020 due to procedural failings. This past October, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard a case pivotal to DACA’s future, under a new rule proposed by the Biden administration to keep the program alive. Immigrant rights activists await a consequential decision.
Greisa Martinez Rosas, also a DACA recipient and Executive Director of United We Dream, urges the lapsed Obama administration to act decisively. She asserts the necessity for robust protections, propelled by a fortified immigrant rights movement.
In the face of persistent legal battles, the Biden administration appealed to retain the integrity of DACA. DACA proponents argue this is essential in sustaining the livelihoods of those like Montoya and proving the U.S.'s commitment to those who have grown up as part of its community.
Pedro Gonzalez-Aboyte, another DACA recipient, shares the personal stakes involved, revealing fears of family disturbance that grip many in the program. “That was a very real conversation we had,” he said, discussing family discussions about contingencies against potential adverse immigration actions.
Despite past setbacks, Trump's administration may prioritize various immigration policies, deliberating whether to reintroduce efforts against DACA. Legal expert Stephen Yale-Loehr, sums up the challenges, noting, “I don't know that they could terminate the program any faster than the current litigation is going.”
DACA's fate hangs in a balance heavily influenced by legal proceedings likely extending up to the U.S. Supreme Court. This protracted legal battle suggests an anxious wait for thousands of immigrants who consider America their home.
Reyna Montoya's fear epitomizes the sentiments of many DACA recipients. She bitterly recalls Trump's rhetoric, “I have to take his (Trump's) words very seriously, that when they say ‘mass deportation,’ it also includes people like me.”
The coming months are crucial not only for the legal status of DACA but also for the lives of many who depend on it. As political, legal, and personal dramas unfold, DACA remains a hot-button issue in the heart of America’s ongoing immigration debate, underscoring the lives intertwined with this policy.
