Undocumented college students under DACA share feelings of hoplessness towards their uncertain future, according to a study by researchers at the San Mateo County Health Department in California.
Researchers conducted focus groups with 55 individuals who mostly identified as undocumented to further understand the impact programs aimed to help illegal immigrants. such as DACA, have had on their recipients.
The study presented in 2018 at the American Public Health Association annual meeting by Kahrine Reyes and Cabuslay Edith looked into the negative health effects DACA students have experienced. Many of these recipients reported signs of depression and anxiety as well as feelings of hopelessness and low self esteem.
“We tried once but couldn’t because of legal problems and by the time it was solved, Trump went into office and my parents were scared to try again,” said Luis Cancino, 20, a sophomore at Christian Brothers University, who was denied DACA.
The results of the study indicated that undocumented immigrants sometimes refused to use health and human services, as well as to further their education, fearing deportation.
“I don’t think it’s the best thing ever — it’s more like a band-aid to cover a wound: it helps, but only temporarily. The $500 application fee is ridiculous, especially because some lower-income families can’t afford that. Also it offers no real path to citizenship and doesn’t allow us to leave the country,” said Brandon Fuentes, a junior DACA recipient at the University of Memphis.
“It also gave me a bad impact due to ICE having my information. And knowing they have my information about where I live makes me feel sometimes uneasy,” said Yuritza Sanchez, a junior DACA recipient at Christian Brothers University.
“To deport over 700,000 Dreamers would be inhumane as the U.S. is all they’ve known. This country calls itself a place of opportunity — well, DACA is an example of that, and I believe it should never go away,” said Gaby Toledo,19, who immigrated to the U.S. but is not a DACA recipient.
“However, although it does give security, it also doesn’t at the same time in the sense that in any given moment if the government chooses to do so, they could repeal the idea of allowing illegal immigrants to reside in the USA and deport each person to their respective countries. It seems almost hypocritical in the sense that something such as DACA could make a person feel both secure and insecure, both protected and at risk,” said Micheal Boongaling, 19.
