DACA Narrative

June 15, 2012. It was a frantic Friday afternoon just after my lunch hour had just ended when I got a call from my friend Giovi. “Have you heard the news?”, she said in a nasally voice. I asked what was wrong as she sounded like she was crying. “President Obama took executive action to give us a reprieve from deportation and a work permit.”, she continued. I fell to my knees and started sobbing. We stayed on the phone crying for about 30 seconds and felt overjoyed by the news and then hung up as I knew my boss would walk in at any minute. I composed myself and got back to work. I couldn’t help but to stray off from doing work and googling what had just happened. Trying to get information. What are the next steps? Requirements for this Deferred Action were posted a day later. Simple things and then there it was “Have continuously resided in the United States since June 15, 2007, up to the present time”. That sentence haunted me for years. That tiny phrase was what would hold me back for applying for DACA for the next 3 years.

August 28, 2008. My mom was crying telling me that my dad was

The expansion of DACA is blocked by a judge. My heart sank. What does that mean? After all these years of waiting I saw my life come down to pieces. I called my immigration attorney. “Do not worry. You are one of the lucky few that does not have to return the work permit. You can keep your 3-year permit”. Excellent! I am set. Clients, friends, my boss, and other acquaintances. They asked me why I didn’t pursue becoming a lawyer and they planted the seed. Thereafter I talked so much about my interest in becoming a lawyer and going to back to school. “You can do it”. “It’s not too late”. “I believe in you.” Okay I’ll apply. Realizing that my community college education would costs just as much as a private college tuition, I realized that going back to college was not so reachable. I thought about getting deeper into debt. No, I could not do that to my