Ever since Trump got elected as president, DACA recipients have been concerned about their future. While many of the rumours of him stripping them off their protection and work permits on his first day in office were unfounded, the winding down of the program was eventually announced in early September 2017.
If you are concerned about your future once the protection is actually lifted off in March 2018, here are a few things you want to do as per human rights activist and legal expert Karen DeSoto –
1. The first and less recommended option is to continue to live the lives you have been leading – Working, driving and getting around undocumented. This option puts you in legal jeopardy all day, every day and increases the chances of your deportation once you are caught.
2. A more practical approach will be to start planning to leave the country in a systematic manner. Sell your house, car and other assets while you are still protected under DACA and try to identify a country that would welcome your skillsets.
For people who grew up in the US, spending most of their lives here, the second step is a challenging one to take. However, in the long run it is the more practical one than going back to taking the kind of jobs you did before you were protected by DACA or transitioning back to illegality. With the right help from immigration experts you will be able to make sure that you create a new life for yourself in a sensible and organized manner.
Karen DeSoto 