MIAMI (WSVN) - A program that protects undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children has once again been deemed unlawful.
On Wednesday, a federal judge in Texas, Andrew Hanen, deemed that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, is illegal. It is the second time this judge has made this ruling.
7News spoke with a DACA recipient, or “Dreamer,” on Thursday who said she will not stop fighting for her future and those just like her.
“We, my mother and I, basically fled our county because of gang members,” Illse Cruz said. “They actually killed my dad in front of me.”
Cruz, 28, is a “Dreamer” who was born in Honduras. She made the move to the U.S. with her mother at just 6 years old.
“I was undocumented until the age of 18. That’s when President Obama gave us Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals,” she said.
Once again, the program that many like Cruz count on is up in the air.
“DACA has allowed me to have a driver’s license, DACA has allowed me to obtain an education,” Cruz said. “It has allowed me to do things for my mother. My mom is a widow; you know, it’s just my mother and I.”
Although the order doesn’t affect current DACA recipients — application renewals will still be accepted — new applications won’t be as easily accepted
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre issued a statement in part Wednesday that reads in part, “We have long maintained we disagree with the district court’s conclusion that DACA is unlawful and will continue to defend this critical policy from legal challenges. We are committed to protecting all the Dreamers who have throughout their lives enriched our communities and our country.”
As for Cruz, she said she will continue to fight for her future and the future of others.
“DACA recipients are not – we don’t let nothing stop us,” she said. “At least for me, I can say that I’m going to keep pushing forward. Am I exhausted? Absolutely, but is this going to stop me? Not at all.”
Cruz told 7News that her biggest fear is the program ending. There are currently about 600,000 DACA recipients in the U.S.
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