Undocumented immigrants looking for deportation relief and work authorization can find temporary reprieve with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals if they meet the requirements.
Opposed to a green card which grants authorization to live and work in the United States on a permanent basis and must be renewed every 10 years, DACA must be renewed every two years.
“I have to renew my work authorization card every two years along with paying $450 for the application fee and sometimes a lawyer fee which can be a challenge for a college student like me,” said Heidy Santiago Hernandez, senior political science with an emphasis in pre-law and power/justice major, and DACA recipient.
Students who want to apply, or reapply, to DACA must get in contact with an attorney, which Cal State Bakersfield will help provide to current students, and two-year alumni.
Applicants must also pay a minimum of $600 for filling all the forms, and even then, being accepted into DACA is not guaranteed.
Christal Guadalupe Barrientos Maldonado, biology major with a minor in chemistry and DACA recipient, said that after her fourth time applying for DACA she decided to do the application on her own, but was rejected, until she got a signature from a paralegal, which she had to pay for.
“I did it exactly how the paralegal did it but simply because it didn’t have her signature, they rejected it,” said Barrientos Maldonado.
Despite CSUB providing help for DACA applicants, there is still fear from some students that it will be taken away by the government.
Santiago Hernandez said that with Donald Trump’s win in the presidential election, along with her, millions of other immigrant students are now fearing for their future in higher education. Without DACA and work authorization, all her hard work to one day practice law will be impossible.
“I am very concerned that his administration will terminate DACA, making all my career goals an unachievable dream. My parents sacrificed a lot for me to be able to obtain a higher education and get many more opportunities they could only dream of,” said Santiago Hernandez.
In Aug. 2024, Latinos Unidos Por Educación Club at CSUB was fighting for Assembly Bill 2586; a bill that would allow undocumented students to work at state colleges and universities in California, but the bill was vetoed by California Governer, Gavin Newsom.
“Kind of ironic, because you’re telling students we’re here for you and we want to support you, yet you don’t pass the bill to where they could allow us opportunities to pay for the tuition,” said Barrientos Maldonado
At job sites they find it best to let their employer know they are a DACA recipient toward the end of the hiring process. Many job sites may not want to deal with the extra verification or the possibility of having to be a sponsor in the future.
Students not only benefit from DACA by getting a degree, but it’s also a security for them to not have to worry about deportation. They are provided a social security number, driver’s license, state ID, protection of status, increased economic and social integration, and access to healthcare.
“Those who are recipients of DACA, if you have it expired, and you try to do it again you have about a year to try to do it but that is still pretty risky because it’s not always guaranteed. We always encourage students that are close to their expiration date, like six months prior, to at least try to talk to the attorneys to start the process and make sure that they’re good to go before their status expires,” said Jasmine Padilla, Multicultural Alliance and Gender Equity Center Coordinator.
If an undocumented immigrant meets the requirements to be a DACA recipient, they will have three types of forms they must fill out when applying. Each of those applications have a separate fee and, in addition, applicants must also pay a fee for the attorney.
The MAGEC Center wants to make it easier for DACA applicants to find sponsors, who are the ones that essentially help provide financial support and assume responsibility for the well-being of their sponsored immigrant. Generally, a person can be a sponsor by being a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident who meets the income and financial requirements.
But even with help from the MAGEC Center, DACA recipients struggle to find the full support to continue school. Barrientos Maldonado said she has spoken to many college peers who may have to drop out due to having limited financial aid. Some of her fellow peers are homeless due to not having much support from family or enough financial aid.
The CSUB Dreamers Resource Center is a safe space for DACA and Dreamer students at CSUB. They help with providing an attorney from Immigrant Legal Defense, questions or concerns one may have, and provide a study room for those recipients to study.
To certain people who have come to the US as children, the DACA program is a lifesaver for them. It gives these students a chance to fulfill their higher education goals with resources to help them navigate their path.
If in need of more information on this topic contact the MAGEC Center front desk at [email protected].
