by Lindsey Smith–Members of Morningside’s Spanish Club gathered to serve drinks from the Hispanic culture and inform students about DACA in front of Roadman Hall on Thursday.
Members served agua de Jamaica, a hibiscus flavored water, agua de Horchata, a milk and rice flavored water, and Agua de Sandia, a watermelon flavored water.
While students tried the different options, members used the opportunity to reach out to anyone who might not know what DACA is and how it affects the community.
Kit Stallmann, a sophomore, said of the event, “I kind of knew what was going on because I’m interested in politics and now I know the number to call a Congress member.”
DACA, otherwise known as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, was abolished by President Trump two weeks ago.
This program provides work, protection from deportation, and other important benefits to immigrant children that meet certain qualifications.
All 800,000 members of DACA, also known as Dreamers, have no criminal record and 91% have jobs. Every member has to pay a $465 fee every two years.
Dreamers come from a variety of countries, including Mexico, Honduras, Brazil, Japan, and India.
Evelyn Hernandez, president of the Spanish Club, says of Dreamers, “They came here for the American Dream. Most have been here since the age of five.”
Congress announced they will renew any Dreamer’s permit which will expire in the next six months, but with the sheer amount of protests and pushback from DACA supporters, the divide is clear.
If you want to know more about DACA, visit their website at https://unitedwedream.org/about/projects/deferred-action/.
To contact a member of Congress about protecting DACA, call (202)-224-3121.
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