June 15, 2022 marks the 10-year anniversary of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a program that has been life-changing for more than 800,000 young immigrants.
With protection from deportation and the ability to work legally, DACA recipients have been able to secure better educational and work opportunities, support their loved ones, and establish deeper roots in their communities. Join us in celebrating this milestone by reading about DACA’s impact on some of IIBA’s incredible clients:
Atziry is a single mother and college student currently studying sociology. She is originally from Mexico but has lived in the Bay Area for most of her life.
“DACA made me become a lot more hopeful for my future. It’s allowed me to broaden my surroundings with the people I’ve met and things I’ve experienced. I hope to be able to be here through my daughter’s milestones and support her financially to make sure she grows up differently than how I grew up.”
Axel is an aspiring game designer and college student at the Academy of Art University. He’s lived in California for over 17 years.
“DACA has honestly helped a lot, work permit wise. It’s expensive out here and a lot of stuff I own is from money I made from working. We don’t get financial aid or scholarships like other students, but either way DACA has helped put us out there. We’ve been living here for so many years and we just want the same opportunities as other people who were born here in the United States.”
Valeria has lived in the U.S. for 20 years. She is majoring in cognitive science as a rising junior at UC Santa Cruz.
“Honestly, it’s been an amazing opportunity. With DACA, I’ve been able to work at internships over the summer. Those opportunities have been helpful because with that money I get to be more independent. I know it’ll be hard transitioning into adulthood, but I’m looking forward to that and my journey to become a dentist.”