These were some of the chants heard last Tuesday, as UTRGV students, faculty and staff joined to march for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, also known as DACA.
The US Supreme Court heard cases to decide if DACA was unconstitutional, therefore decided whether the program should remain active.
The program was initiated by the Obama administration in 2012, to protect children, that illegally entered the US with their parents, from deportation.
UTRGV Sophomore and DACA recipient, Araceli Gallegos reached out to the UTRGV Dream Resource center to organize the protest march around campus.
Gallegos explains that “now” is the time to take action.
“We need to do somethings; I mean it’s time to stand up and do something. Cause that’s the only way we can do something; we have to stand up. If we don’t stand up everything is going to shut down.”
According to the U-S Citizenship and Immigration Services, in 2018 there were more than seven hundred thousand active DACA recipients residing in the US. UTRGV ALUMNUS Abraham Diaz says during the march, that dreamers’ lives depend on DACA.
“Today we are out here in the cold because it matters to some of us who have DACA, because our lives depend on this. So, you showing up today and showing support of the DACA program, is crucial and very, very important.”
To learn more about DACA visit, the US citizenship and immigration services at USCI-S dot com. For further information on the UTRGV Dream Resource Center visit the Office of Student Success at UTRGV.
Reporter Samantha Garza
