United States

US Supreme Court Takes Up DACA Case

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on Tuesday to protect Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, commonly known as the DACA act.

Since 2012, DACA has allowed approximately 800,000 young people who came to this country as children without legal status the chance to live, study and work in the U.S. without fear of arrest or deportation.

Attorney General William Tong took the time to show his support for the more than 205 DACA recipients enrolled at Eastern Connecticut State University.

 Back in 2017, Connecticut along with 15 other states filed a lawsuit to challenge the Trump Administration’s decision to revoke DACA.

Yineria Lopez is a Venezuela native who is benefiting from the program. Lopez says she’s glad that she’s given an opportunity to make a better life for herself.

“DACA has blessed me with so many other opportunities,” said Lopez.

Several leaders also showed their support including university president, Elsa Nunez. Nunez is hoping that her students will have the opportunity to finish their academic careers in Connecticut. Her wish is for the U.S. Supreme Court to rule in favor of keeping the DACA program.

“These are the moments in our history when we have the opportunity to reaffirm the values of our great American Democracy,” said Nunez.

Maria Elena Ruiz Gonzalez has big career aspirations in the communication and political science field. Gonzalez says she wants to use her voice to shed light on the importance of the DACA program.

“I went through kindergarten, high school and now college because of the program,” said Gonzalez. “I’m able to work here while in college and receive an education.”

Gonzalez says she hopes that the Supreme Court Justice rules in favor of keeping the program or coming up with an alternative solution.

“Unfortunately with DACA , there isn’t a pathway to citizenship and a lot of us have been here for all of our lives,” said Gonzalez.” “I would hope they would create a program that allows us a passage to citizenship.”

A bare majority of the Supreme Court appeared likely to let the Trump administration follow through on its plan to shut down DACA.

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