Salinas – Thanks to a program signed into law by President Barack Obama, Adriana Gonzalez was able to get a work permit four years ago.
Gonzalez, 24, was brought to the United States illegally by her parents when she was 7.
The program called Deferred Arrival for Childhood Arrivals, most commonly known as DACA, has allowed 750,000 young people who came to the U.S. illegally to continue working and studying in this country.
But on the campaign trail, Donald Trump promised to end the program. Immigration activists from the Central Coast believe, because DACA was an executive action, it would be an easy immigration program for Trump to end.
“DACA students are not so much in danger of deportation as they are of losing their DACA,” said Doug Keegan, program director of the Santa Cruz County Immigration Project. “That can happen very easily right off the bat. That won’t take any legislation, any administration change. Just with the stroke of a pen, just the same way Obama did it with creation of the program.”
Less than a week after Trump became the country’s president-elect, not only have thousands of people taken to the street to protest his divisive rhetoric but organizations that work to support immigrant rights have seen their switchboards inundated with calls.
In light of the demand, several community organizations held a news conference in Salinas Monday to urge calm among immigrant communities and to announce a series of forums in the next few days to answer questions, assuage concerns and urge people to be ready for what’s to come — whatever that is.
For starters, immigrant rights activists advised people who may be eligible for DACA not to apply.
“It’s very possible the new president is going to terminate it,” Keegan said. “It’s better to wait.”
Students who are abroad under DACA special permits are being advised to return to the country before Jan. 20, said Paulina Moreno, DACA coordinator with the Community Action Board.
Monterey and San Benito counties are home to the largest share of undocumented immigrants in California — an estimated 55,000. Even people who are in the country legally, such as U.S.-born children of undocumented immigrants, fear what could happen to their parents.
The day after the election “there was a lot of fear and anxiety and we had to bring emergency counseling support services for students in extreme distress, mostly fearful for their families,” said Bronwyn Moreno, director of students affairs at Hartnell College. “These are our future math teachers, our brightest and best students who are integral to our community. They’re paying taxes, they’re part of the American dream. It’s criminal to think of their rights being stripped away from them.”
Among the promises Trump made during the campaign was to build a wall with Mexico and deport all people living illegally in the United States — an estimated 11 million.
In a Sunday interview with CBS, Trump said he would secure the border first (sometimes with a fence if not a wall), then deport immigrant criminals (about three million, he said), then decide what to do with other undocumented immigrants.
“After the border is secure and after everything gets normalized, we’re going to make a determination on the people you’re talking about who are terrific people, they’re terrific people who we’re going to make a determination on, but before we make a determination, we want to secure our border,” Trump told Lesley Stahl on “60 Minutes.”
But because Trump tapped Kris Kobach to lead his transition team in the immigration arena, Keegan doubts Trump will take back any of his campaign promises. Kobach, secretary of state for Kansas, has been described by critics as an “anti-immigrant zealot.”
“He has been known for a long time to be very opposed to immigrants,” Keegan said. “That makes me worried. Just like his wall, I do think he’s going to implement his policies in stages and in terms of priorities. His first priority will be the criminal offenders already in the system or incarcerated. That will be his first target, after that, there’s no way of knowing. We have to look at things in short term and long term, and it’s not promising in the long term.”
In spite of the long-term prospects, activists urged immigrants not to be afraid.
“In these times of uncertainty, it’s important not to fall prey to fear,” said Maria Elena Manso, an organizer with COPA at Sacred Heart Church. “It’s important to seek help from local institutions, churches, nonprofit organizations and keep informed. We don’t know what will happen, but it’s important to remain informed.”
Claudia Meléndez Salinas can be reached at 831-726-4370.
IF YOU GO
What: Immigration forums to answer questions about how to prepare for changes in immigration policies
When: 6:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Alisal High, 777 Williams Road, Salinas
When: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Mary Chapa Literacy and Technology Academy, 490 El Camino Real, Greenfield
When: 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday
Where: Watsonville High School, 250 E. Beach St., Watsonville
When: 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday
Where: North County Recreational Center, 11261 Crane St,, Castroville
