As President-elect Donald Trump prepares for his second term, the futures of approximately 535,000 DACA recipients remain uncertain, causing concern within immigrant communities. Reyna Montoya, a former DACA recipient and founder of the Arizona-based advocacy group Aliento, expressed worry over Trump's immigration rhetoric and policies, "I have to take his (Trump's) words very seriously, that when they say ‘mass deportation,’ it also includes people like me," she told ABC15. The continued existence of DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, seems increasingly tenuous due to ongoing legal challenges and Trump's history of attempts to dismantle the program.
In a wave of pre-emptive action, some DACA recipients are rushing to renew permits through organizations like the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, offering legal aid to navigate the exhaustive process. A Phoenix native and DACA recipient, Pedro Gonzalez-Aboyte, detailed a poignant discussion about potential family separation with his immigrant parents and U.S.-born siblings, saying, "That was a very real conversation we had," in a statement obtained by NewsNationNow. This discourse reflects the broader anxiety shared across immigrant families in the U.S., who may soon face the reality of a fractured existence.
Legal proceedings against DACA, spearheaded by Texas and other Republican-led states, argue the program's fiscal strain on states, a claim that the Biden administration and intervenors dispute, as reported by NewsNationNow. The program's fate now rests with the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, known for its conservative leanings, which heard arguments regarding the legality of DACA in October, with no deadline for a ruling as of yet.
Despite the challenges, supporters and activists are not idle. Greisa Martinez Rosas, a DACA recipient and executive director of United We Dream, emphasized the movement's growth and preparedness, "building a nimble and responsive infrastructure so that we will make shifts as threats emerge," she conveyed at a recent press briefing, according to ABC15.
