As we mark the 12th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, it's crucial to reflect on both its impacts and ongoing challenges. Introduced under the Obama Administration, DACA has provided opportunities for 800,000 individuals who were brought to the United States as children. According to a report by KSAT, recipients have been afforded the chance to obtain a driver’s license, pursue an education, and engage in lawful employment.

Local San Antonio resident Andrea Rathbone Ramos, herself a "Dreamer," described the profound effect the program has had, enabling her to forge a life and a family. Meeting her husband at Churchill High School, she disclosed to him her legal status, saying, "I feel like every day it’s a blessing." Rathbone Ramos, who was only nine years old when brought to the U.S., represents the human stories entwined with DACA.

Immigration attorney Gerardo Menchacha has been a firsthand witness to the transformation and struggles within the immigrant community post-DACA. "It was a breath of fresh air when DACA was announced," Menchacha told KSAT. But the respite could be short-lived; recent legal challenges and political opposition spotlight the program's fragile state. In just the past year, Texas and eight other states have initiated lawsuits arguing DACA's lawfulness.

While current President Joe Biden assures his commitment to "Dreamers," former President Donald Trump has pledged to resume deportations if re-elected. In this political seesaw, Menchacha questions the program's future stability, admitting, "DACA is always going to be in jeopardy," and highlighted that it leaves recipients in limbo, unable to foresee the next five years with certainty. Rathbone Ramos echoes the sentiment, calling for a more durable solution to an “Immigration policy has been broken for a very, very, very long time,” as reported by KSAT.

Despite now being married to a U.S. citizen, Rathbone Ramos's pathway to citizenship is entangled with uncertainty. She, like many in her situation, continues to hope for a permanent fix that would allow her and others like her to fully embrace the American dream without fear of it being snatched away.