The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling Thursday against the Trump Administration's actions to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arivals Program (DACA) gave hundreds of thousands of people across the country and here in New Mexico some relief for now.
Brenda Martinez, is a human resources professional working for a non-profit in Las Cruces and a DACA recipient. Martinez said in an interview with KRWG News that the ruling gave her some hope.
"Right now I feel happy and I feel protected," said Martinez.
The DACA program allowed Martinez to legally work while gaining her degree and pursue a career. The program also helped her become a home owner.
"It just has given me so many opportunities not just to work, but to travel, to be able to buy a home, buy the car that I've always wanted, it just opened up so many opportunities for me," said Martinez.
Uriel Rosales is a recent NMSU graduate and works as field organizer for the New Mexico Dream Team. He said in an interview with KRWG News that the DACA program has protected him while he worked and pursued his college education.
"The main thing was giving me protection from being deported. It gave me relief, because I wasn't going to be persecuted. It gave me the opportunity to work with a social security number, and pay for my school and my car," said Rosales.
Rosales says that even with DACA, he wasn't able to find federal financial help while in school. DACA recipients are not eligible for federal student aid. There may be state student aid or university aid for some, but he says scholarships are limited and many in the program have to work multiple jobs while in school and still maintain high grades.
The future of the DACA program may now depend on actions by the Trump Administration or Congress.
Brenda Martinez says that she hopes lawmakers can understand what it is like being in the DACA program, but she says it's hard to describe to others that the futures of so many depend on one document.
"That's literally our situation because without it you can't work, and if you can't work it's hard to get income, pay off your bills, it's hard to have opportunities," said Martinez.
With the high court's ruling, Martinez says she has hope again and it feels like people are standing with Dreamers as they pursue a permanent future in the United States.
