DACA Dream Act March Nashville John Partipilo Photography013.JPG

Jazmin Ramirez, one of our organizers, shares how DACA impacted her life and the lives of thousands of undocumented youth across the country. While the future of DACA is uncertain, we know that immigrant youth are powerful. Talk to your legal service provider about renewing your DACA as soon as possible.


Seven years ago today, the federal government began accepting DACA applications.  Since then, the program has been a lifeline for undocumented youth like me. For the first time, we could feel safe from deportation.

The program has been an unparalleled success - hundreds of thousands of us nationwide have been able to work, to drive, and to more fully participate in our communities. Nearly 8,000 immigrant youth in Tennessee are benefitting from the program. For the past seven years, we've been filling critical roles in our economy and community. We are nurses and teachers and community organizers like me.

But the future of DACA is uncertain.  Trump ended the program in 2017. While the courts have stopped him from terminating the program completely, the case is headed to the Supreme Court. The legal arguments will be heard on November 12, 2019  and a decision is expected by June 2020. 

 

If your DACA expires in or before 2020, we strongly recommend that you speak to a legal service provider about renewing your DACA NOW. 

Call our hotline at 615-414-1030 if you need a financial or legal referral. No new DACA applications are being accepted but those who already have DACA are able to renew for now. Click here for more on the current state of DACA applications and renewals. 

If you don't have DACA, but know someone who does - please spread the word! 

 

While we don’t know what the Supreme Court will decide, we know immigrant youth are powerful and resilient. We fought to get DACA, and no matter what happens, we won’t quit fighting until we win permanent protection from deportations, without compromising the safety of our communities or our families. As we wait for the court to decide, it's critical that those of us with DACA renew our applications now. 

As a DACA recipient, I'm ready to lead the work to make sure all DACA recipients in Tennessee renew, stay informed and organize to fight back.