Protests in US
Plan to cancel DACA sparks anger and fear among young immigrants
Nationwide demonstrations expected as young immigrants fight to keep protections.
PHOENIX: Nationwide protests are expected as young immigrants fight to keep Obama-era protections US President Donald Trump vows to dismantle, while they prepare for the worst.
The second day of protests is anticipated amid reports that Trump will announce that he’s doing away with the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme, which protects those brought into the country illegally as children.
The young immigrants are preparing for the unknown, with Trump expected to end the programme but with a six-month delay to give Congress time to decide if it wants to address the status of the law.
Some young immigrants worry they will have to work under the table in lower-wage jobs, while others hope to persevere or even start their own businesses.
Korina Iribe said she and her partner have been discussing what they need to do to protect their twoyear-old son in the event that they are no longer shielded from deportation or cannot work. Both were brought to the United States illegally as children.
“Our son is US-born, and ultimately for us, we want the best for him. But we also don’t want to go back to living in the shadows,” said Iribe, from the Phoenix area.
Details of the changes were not clear, including what would hap- pen if lawmakers failed to pass a measure by the deadline.
Supporters of the programme took to the streets on Monday in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, South Carolina and elsewhere, holding up signs that read, “No person has the right to rain on your dreams” and “You may say I’m a dreamer but I’m not the only one.”
Iribe and her partner are planning on giving one of their son’s grandparents power of attorney in case they are deported without notice. She is considering getting her son dual citizenship so he could join them in Mexico if needed.
Evelin Salgado, 23, who came from Mexico 13 years ago, is worried about losing her job, her home and her driver’s licence if DACA is cancelled.
“It’s like my life is crumbling on top of me,” said Salgado, who graduated from Murray State University in Kentucky last year and is in her second year as a high school Spanish teacher just outside Nashville, Tennessee.
“My hopes. My dreams. My aspirations. Everything my parents and I have worked so hard for. We don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Salgado and her parents rent a home and she helps them financially. They may be forced to move to a smaller home or an apartment “because if I lose my job, of course, we can’t pay for it”.