This archive report was first published on 18 June 2020.
Published on June 18, 2020, the DACA program has been a lifeline for many young adults, including Ms. Pumar, who became the first DACA recipient to pass the California bar in 2014. Her brother, Marco, also a DACA recipient, started a company that employs 25 Americans in Orange County.
However, the program's fate was sealed when Donald Trump entered the White House and his first attorney general rescinded it, leaving the young adults in a state of prolonged uncertainty.
Despite the uncertainty, many Dreamers have continued to build their futures. Monica Sandoval, an emergency room nurse in Columbus, Ind., has been fighting to stabilize coronavirus patients on respirators, despite living in constant fear of losing her job and having to give up her goal of pursuing a master's degree.
Marisol Montejano, 36, just graduated with a math degree from California State University San Bernardino, and plans to become a high school teacher. She had dropped out of college nearly a decade ago due to financial constraints, but was able to return to school after obtaining DACA.
‘I don’t see myself doing anything else,’ said Ms. Sandoval, who has been fighting to stabilize coronavirus patients on respirators. ‘If DACA ends for good, I have no idea how I will manage.’
