Congress has failed tens of thousands of this year’s high school graduates. DACA has...
University of Houston biology student Katia Elisea Escobar, 18, attends a rally outside the Harris County Democratic Party offices, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, in Houston. Katia is an undocumented immigrant and would be eligible for DACA if a Texas judge hadn't ended the program for new applicants.When Katia Escobar’s family members reminisce about their previous life in Mexico, they might as well be talking about a different planet.
Created by a 2012 executive order from President Obama, DACA offered so-called Dreamers the chance to qualify for in-state college tuition “And all of those so-called Dreamers, those DACA kids,” Biden said at one 2020 presidential debate with President Trump, “they’re going to beoverwhelming, bipartisan public support for permanent
Over the past decade, DACA has become even more limited. For low-income residents such as Escobar, the onerous application and renewal fees are themselves a barrier to protected status. With the help of United We Dream, an immigrant advocacy group, Escobar took a course on DACA and they provided funds to submit an application. She waited and waited, praying she would be accepted.