SAN ANTONIO — Francisco Ramos is among the hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients across the U.S. feeling relieved after a federal judge ordered the program to be reinstated after years of legal battles.
“I am originally from Mexico. I came over here when I was 5 years old with my parents,” Ramos said
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program protects undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally as minors from being deported.
Ramos grew up in the Rio Grande Valley and eventually set his sights pursuing higher education at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
“I’ll be graduating in architecture with a minor in history studies, something that I’ve been dreaming of since I was in high school,” Ramos said.
DACA recipients are required to reapply every two years to avoid deportation and maintain eligibility to work.
For Ramos, the reinstatement of DACA comes as welcoming news, especially after four years of the program under the threat of being shut down by the Trump administration.
“With the president that we have right now, it was always having to be on the lookout because we never knew what he was going to do the next day,” Ramos said.
Friday’s ruling marked a major victory for those like Ramos who are working toward fulfilling their dreams in a country they know best.
“I’ve been living the best of both worlds, I guess I could say that, appreciating the culture from back home but at the same time, I feel like an American,” Ramos said.
Immigrant rights groups and supporters of programs like DACA, plan to lobby for a more permanent solution.
Ramos longs for other day when he can recite the oath of citizenship.
“I really, really hope with the new presidency, there’s a new – there’s more opportunities for us to continue here without being worried, without being afraid of one day being deported or being separated from our families,” Ramos said.
On Monday, the government started accepting new DACA applications for the first time in three years. Texas is home to more than 100,000 DACA recipients.