These past couple weeks have been like a surreal dream that I keep wanting to wake up from but can’t. I’m sure that’s the feeling of everyone who had an image of an America that was progressing towards more tolerance and acceptance of its immigrant roots and people. Sadly, President-Elect Trump takes the oath on January 20th, 2017. As a first generation Mexican-American woman, his platform worries me on many aspects.
One of his focus is on immigration policy, and although I was lucky enough to be born here that is not the case for others. I have family members, friends, and acquaintances that immigrated with their parents from Mexico and other parts of that world that have embraced this country as their own. Many of them fear that one of Trump's administration's focus will be on repealing The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Policy (DACA), that was created via executive order by President Obama. DACA allows undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States as children to work and study here on a temporary basis. These recipients or dreamers, face uncertainty with the new administration. Although we do not know for certain what Trumps immigration policy will be (as he has been vague about everything, and he is known to change his mind), it is best that DACA students keep informed about what to do next.
I’m not an expert in immigration law, but I would suggest to DACA students to be hyper-vigilant of everything Trump says and how supportive Congress is of his actions. Knowing what Trumps plans for his first 100 days is also vital, he ran on a very explosive and controversial platform and he has promised “Make American Great Again,” what Congress will allow him to actually do we have yet to find out. Another recommendation would be to be in touch with your immigration attorney, if you don’t have one, then I suggest visiting your local law school websites for law clinics that give free legal advice. There are also non-profit organizations out there like united we dream, who goal is to protect DACA and gives dreamers great resources and information.
For those of us here in California, and those of us attending Sonoma State University, we are lucky because our Governor and State Legislation have stated that they will stand up to Trump and continue protecting our views and values. The California State University system has also released a statement that assures the DACA students that the system will not police dreamers and will not work with the Immigration and Customs Agency. California will continue to be a sanctuary not just for immigrants, but for the sons and daughters of immigrants too. Staying informed and vigilant is vital, we cannot let injustices continue to happen and we must all be supportive and fight for each other and our rights. Please stay informed and make sure you know what your rights are and what resources are available to you.
