Once upon a time, an 8-year-old boy was brought across United States borders to live. As many Louisiana residents can relate, the situation did not affect his life much at that age, but as time went on and he became a young man, things changed due to U.S. immigration law and his undocumented status. In fact, he often lived in fear of deportation and says he was not eligible for many of the opportunities his high school classmates often pursued.
That same young man, now age 27, described his joy when he qualified for the Deferred Actions of Childhood Arrivals program, implemented by the previous presidential administration to protect those brought to the United States as minors from removal. It’s a temporary protection, however, and all requirements must be fulfilled in order to be eligible for application. The man in this particular situation said the years he lived without legal status were the most challenging years of his life.
DACA approval allowed him to obtain a college education, through which he is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree. He says he feels strongly that the United States is where he belongs, and he hopes to remain here as a productive member of society. He also stressed that the issue regarding undocumented immigrants who were brought here as children is pertinent to the lives of many immigrants now living in America as well as those who have yet to arrive.
Deportation is a real threat in the lives of immigrants without proper documentation. Immigration advocates believe that, when such people were brought here as minors, they shouldn’t be punished for circumstances that arose through no fault of their own. An immigration and naturalization attorney is a good resource to access for anyone in Louisiana facing U.S. immigration law problems regarding this topic.
Source: mlive.com, “Undocumented: One immigrant’s story of life under DACA“, Monica Scott, Aug. 29, 2017
