She’s a dreamer, but she’s not the only one
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, was created in 2012 to give eligible young undocumented immigrants two year work permits and protection from deportation. Lily Carrasco, a sophomore political science major at Texas A&M University, is among the 690,000 individuals that have been benefited from DACA.
By Haley Elliott ’19
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, was created in 2012 to give eligible young undocumented immigrants two year work permits and protection from deportation. Lily Carrasco, a sophomore political science major at Texas A&M University, is among the 690,000 individuals that have been benefited from DACA.
When Carrasco’s family immigrated from Bolivia to the United States, DACA applicants had to be at least 15 years old, free of a criminal record, and in the U.S. by June 15, 2007. Carrasco arrived on June 11th and made the deadline by four days.
Sparked by the enthusiasm of her own parents, Carrasco has always done her best to be well-informed on what is happening around her. After the 2016 presidential election, she knew that she wanted to work in politics herself and chose to pursue a degree in political science.
Carrasco hopes that one day she will be able to put her degree to use as she lives and works in the United States. Until then, she plans on completing undergraduate degree at A&M and pursue a masters degree in either public policy or public affairs.
“With my degree in political science, I hope to be able to work in public policy on legislation that affects the immigrant community, like comprehensive immigration reform,” said Carrasco. “Over the summer I had the opportunity to intern for a state representative and was able to interact with constituents and gain much needed experience.”
Given the polarizing nature of immigration politics, Carrasco is often exposed to hostile rhetoric both on campus and in her political science classes. Fortunately, she has found community in her organization, the Council for Minority Student Affairs (CMSA).
“CMSA is an immigrant’s rights organization, so many people in it that are in the exact same situation that I am,” said Carrasco. “Having a group of people to navigate through college with makes it a little better. If it wasn’t for my organization, I don’t think I would be able to make it.”
Carrasco also credits her success to the support that she finds in professors like Dr. Nancy Plankey-Videla. Carrasco was a student in Plankey-Videla’s class, Latinx Immigration (SOCI 338), when she decided to approach her after class.
“The core lesson I seek to impart in my Latinx Immigration class is that knowledge is power and what we do with that knowledge matters. Ms. Carrasco, like so many other immigrant students on campus, keenly understood this. She was eager to learn about immigration policy and social inequities, not only to better understand her own situation, but also to work for a more just society. Without being a citizen, Ms. Carrasco embodies the principles of justice, fairness, and liberty that we citizens too often take for granted.”
More than anything, Carrasco wants to encourage individuals to do their research on political issues–such as immigrants rights–so that they can make educated choices in the voting booth.
For more information on DACA and Dreamers like Carrasco, click here.