Minnesota braces for end to program for young immigrants
"
With the threat of a federal lawsuit looming, the administration said it will phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, for people brought to
Some prominent
In
Mark Vancleave VideoVideo (02:21): Hundreds of people took to the streets in
A protest rally of immigrants and advocates drew about 1,000 people in
The administration announcement ups the ante on legislative proposals in
Dayton decries move
Senior
"As long as I am governor,
A recent study estimated that DACA recipients in
The 2013 Minnesota DREAM Act extended in-state tuition and financial aid to all students without legal immigration status -- benefits that will continue even as the federal program winds down. About 485 students received scholarships worth almost
This year,
As the school year got underway Tuesday,
One DACA recipient who asked not to be identified said he will lose his job assisting students of color at a
"These students are ready to hit the job market and contribute to the only nation they know," he said. "Now they won't have that opportunity."
With a bachelor's degree in theology, Rodriguez, a legal assistant in an immigration attorney's office, was weighing the idea of going to law school. An earlier job at the
"Am I always going to be treated as a second-class citizen even though I went to school here, I pay my taxes and always try to do everything right?" she wondered.
At a news conference at the State Capitol, advocates, state legislators and others also pledged continued support to DACA recipients. Some said the state should find a way to allow them to keep their driver's licenses.
Pleased to see promise kept
DACA critics had called on Trump to end the program, which they view as a symbol of Obama's executive overreach and soft line on illegal immigration.
"The deferred program was unlawful and unconstitutional," she said. "
Although the program doesn't offer a pathway to legal status for most, some who are married to
"The President's actions on DACA are reasonable, humane and ensure we are a nation of laws, not merely executive actions," said
Sixth District Rep.
Meanwhile,
DACA critics and supporters now turn their attention to
Rodriguez says she and fellow DACA recipients have to continue speaking out and lobbying for a legislative help.
"We are not going back into the shadows at this point," she said. "We'll be telling our stories and marching and calling
Immigrants take to streets
On Tuesday, hundreds of immigrants and their supporters marched from
They chanted "sin papeles, sin miedo" (no papers, no fear) and held signs that said, "Dream on Dreamers" and "Thank you DACA."
Sosa, who said knows very little about his birth country, graduated from high school and is taking classes at
"If you believe, anything is possible," he said. "I didn't think I would graduate and move on to college, because I didn't have papers. With DACA, I felt relief even though I knew it was temporary."
Staff writer
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