NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Thousands of young people brought to the United States as children say the program that made their lives possible is now threatening their livelihoods. Renewal delays for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program are leaving many without work authorization — and without paychecks.
A Spanish teacher in Nashville, whom we are calling Maria, is one of them. She asked that her real name not be used for fear of retaliation. Maria was brought to the U.S. by her parents on a visa when she was 13. She now holds four degrees and is working toward her doctorate.
"I always wanted to go to college, but I didn't know if I would be able to. So DACA came. And it opened a lot of opportunities," Maria said.
DACA, created during the Obama administration, has protected thousands of people from deportation and allowed them to work legally in the United States.
"And I wanted to be a teacher because I want to help students like me," Maria said.
For 14 years, dreamers have paid around $500 to renew their DACA status every 2 years. A process that once took weeks is now taking months. Maria submitted her renewal in February and is still waiting. Her expiration date is approaching.
"Well, I know some dreamers that it expired and they lost their jobs. And now they have a family (and) they don't have money to pay for their bills, to feed their children, right? So I'm afraid things like that would happen to me too," Maria said.
The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition says the delays are putting many recipients at risk of being detained.
"So it's also really bad for the community because we're losing these people who should be allowed to work, but they can't now because their work permit has expired," Sarah Subramanian said.
A recent ruling found that DACA status does not protect recipients from deportation. At the same time, the government is requiring new biometric screenings. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson says the agency is thoroughly screening and vetting all applicants.
The agency says nearly 90% of DACA recipients arrested by immigration officials have a criminal charge or conviction. But some applicants worry that even minor issues, like a speeding ticket, could put them at risk.
Despite all the uncertainty, Maria says the wait and the anxiety will not stop her from living her dream.
"I don't know, like how can people tell us to wake up? Like they call us dreamers. I mean, everybody has a dream. Everybody has a dream," Maria said.
Lawmakers say hundreds of people have already lost their jobs because of the delays. A federal court case in Texas could ultimately decide the program's fate. Legal experts expect the case to reach the Supreme Court within the next 2 years.
There are approximately 7,000 active DACA recipients in Tennessee and about 530,000 nationwide. Dreamers of Nashville is offering help to any DACA recipients in Tennessee.
"I want them to see that we're all people we dream that we want to contribute to our community, that nobody asks us if we want to be here," Maria said.
Dreamers of Nashville is offering help to any DACA recipients in Tennessee.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Patsy.Montesinos@NewsChannel5.com
Young or old, we all love to play board and card games! Those games become even more important when you are indoors and don't have the ability to get outside, like patients in a hospital. Austin Pollack shares the story of students in a Nashville family who have helped re-launch the Red Wagon project to collect games for patients at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.
- Lelan Statom
