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A former Western student speaks out on DACA

Many people who can’t vote want to vote. Whereas, people who can vote, sometimes choose not to. Why?

On Feb. 7, the Detroit City Clerk’s office came to Western to register students to vote.

In March, elected officials will make hundreds of decisions that impact everyone. An issue in particular will impact people who may not be able to speak for themselves.

They are, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, commonly referred to as the DACA.

DACA, which ended in September 2017 by the current administration, was introduced in 2012, by President Barack Obama to provide safeties to people who came to this country as children. After almost a decade of failed attempts to pass an act dubbed the Dreamers Act; DACA was created.

Its intent was to protect a group of people commonly referred to as Dreamers from immediate deportation and provide them with documentation needed to work, attend school and be eligible for health care benefits.  It did not provide them with citizenship. 

A recent Western International graduate, who asked to remain anonymous, has been significantly impacted by the end of DACA.

When asked if the termination of DACA impacted her family she said, “When I first heard about DACA, I was really happy. I knew this was a new opportunity for me. I was going to be able to get a good paying job, get my license, and the best thing I was protected from deportation.”

She went on to say: “This wasn’t only good news for me but for my parents as well, they didn’t have to worry about me driving anymore without a license or there even being the chance of me being deported.”

In September 2017, DACA was ended by the Trump Administration.

The former student said: “We received very sad news. DACA had come to an end.I was one of the 800,000 students who was going to lose protection. This was very devastating news for me and my family. Everything was going to change and in a matter of months, I had to change all the plans I made.

 “I was also losing the feeling of being safe here I was going to go back to having an illegal status. At this point, all I would think about was why? Why did they decide to put an end to DACA? All we want is to feel safe and have legal status here. To be able to have a driver’s license and a social security number to work legally here.” 

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