President Trump To Decide On Fate Of DACA Immigrants

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- President Trump is on the verge of making a decision about DACA, an Obama-era program that allows some undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children to stay and work in the States.

Ava-joye Burnett speaks to some young people are concerned and fearful about their future here.

The DACA program protected some young people from getting deported, but with this potential change looming, some are afraid, while others are pledging to fight.

"We love the dreamers. We love everybody. Thank you very much," said President Trump at a press briefing.

But, as the children, called "dreamers" like Baltimore woman Nathaly Uribe Robledo anxiously wait for the president's decision, she wonders if she'll have to leave the U.S. for a country she doesn't know.

"It's hard to know that I've lived here 20 years and I've gone to school here and I've gotten good grades. I've worked so hard and all of that gets taken away by one man."

At CASA de Maryland, a group that fights for immigrant rights, one man told WJZ he received a work permit through DACA, and he's not ready to give up.

"Yes it may be in jeopardy, but we won't stand back, we will actually stand up and fight back. They can't take this away from us," says Jesus Perez, from Baltimore.

"We're talking about ripping a lot of the stability that they've had since 2012, and bringing them back into the shadows," says Lydia Walther-Rodriguez, with CASA.

CASA did not know how many dreamers are in Maryland, but the department of homeland security said as of March of this year, deportations were delayed for at least 700-thousand people.

House speaker Paul Ryan expressed concerns about scrapping the program:

"These are kids who know no other country, who were brought here by their parents and don't know another home. And so, I really do believe there needs to be a legislative solution and that's one we're working on," says Speaker of the House Rep. Paul Ryan on WCLO Radio.

The White House is expected to announce a decision on Tuesday. CASA de Maryland said multiple groups will gather outside the White House on Tuesday, as the president announces his decision.

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