DACA recipients share hopes and fears ahead of court ruling that could end program

A longstanding immigrant protection program could be struck down by a federal court in Texas. A judge is expected to hand down a decision this month about the legality of DACA, or the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. It protects undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children from deportation. We hear from some of them struggling with life in limbo as they await the judge's ruling. Read the Full Transcript Geoff Bennett: After marking its 11th anniversary this month, a longstanding immigrant protection program could be struck down by a federal court in Texas. A judge is expected to hand down a decision this month about the legality of DACA, or the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, that protects undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children from deportation. There are more than half-a-million DACA recipients, and many are in limbo as they await the judge's ruling. We hear from some of them now. Jonathan Rodas, DACA Recipient: Hi. My name is Jonathan Rodas. I am a DACA recipient. I am originally from El Salvador. Katia Rubio Leal, DACA Recipient: My name is Katia Rubio Leal. I was born in Hidalgo, Mexico, raised in Arkansas, but now reside in Kansas City. I attend Rutgers University. I'm a rising senior. Onion Ha, DACA Recipient: I go by Onion Ha. I have lived in this country since I was 5, 6 years old, and have been on DACA since 2016. Auroa, Migrant: My name is Aurora. I am 24 years old. I came here when I was 10 months old from Mexico. I applied for DACA, but I have been blocked. So, meantime, I'm undocumented. I don't have DACA. Jonathan Rodas: With my DACA, I felt — for this 10 years, 11 years now, I have felt that I'm part of this country. I'm part because I'm paying taxes. I have a good job. I'm going to school and I'm getting in-state tuition. I get all the benefits as a U.S. citizen or a green card holder, and everything. Katia Rubio Leal: I'm able to find, like, really good jobs that, like, not many people wouldn't be able to do because I have a work permit. Jonathan Rodas: The only con it is that — is that we are in constant fear, in a constant fear that, like, for example, this judge can strike it down real quick. And then we're in limbo. Katia Rubio Leal: That strain that it's $500 every two years for myself and my two brothers. There was one case when the mail lost my brother's card, and we had to pay the $500 again, even though the mail carrier lost it. And, again, it's just $500 isn't always that easy for people. Auroa: So, I was a freshman in college. And so that was the first time I applied. And the Trump administration blocked applications. That was the first time I got blocked. And then the second time was in 2021. That was a day that everything changed once again to me, because I thought that my future would be different. Katia Rubio Leal: There's still so much that I can't do. There's — since I'm majoring in biomedical engineering, I have to do a lot of research, especially to get into grad school. When I try and look for opportunities, all of them are like, you have to be a U.S. citizen, you have to be a U.S. citizen, a resident. So I just go down the line knocking off things that I can't do because of my status. Onion Ha: I can only think in to two-year increments. It's traumatizing because you can't have any peace. You can't live with peace. You have to constantly think of, like, contingency plans and backup plans. And you just got to just kind of work with the flow. And it's unfair, because your life is just in the whims of people that don't even though what you're going through. Auroa: Another struggle is that everyone's moving forward. I have seen my family, friends graduate and already start families, buy a house. And I'm still in the same situation in my life, that I haven't been moving forward. Katia Rubio Leal: I have been having it for, like, six years almost, about. I have been in school. I have had really good grades. I have done good jobs. I don't even have a speeding ticket. Like, what is prohibiting me from becoming a citizen if I'm a law-abiding person? And people prove themselves year after year that they want to be here in this country, they want to do good, they want that security, but they're still not granted it at all. Onion Ha: I constantly struggle between, am I Korean, am I American? Because now people are telling me I'm not American, and I don't deserve to be in this country, and that I need to get out of here because I made the wrong choice when I was 5, 6 years old. And it's like I have never made a decision anyways. It's insane. So it's like, yes, like, there's a daily struggle with like your identity, of who you are. And you have to reaffirm that you are — you rightfully deserve to be in this country. For more information, visit us at https://www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com/.