Educating CMU Students on DACA

Story and photos by: Brooke DuVall

Students had the chance to attend an event led by the Empowered Latino Union on campus in the Bovee UC room 108, on Wednesday, October 1. Members of this organization educated students on the meaning of DACA, its history, and the requirements to qualify. 

DACA stands for “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.” It offers protection from deportation to undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children. 

President of the Empowered Latino Union, Megan Fisk, presented slides sharing reasons why people migrate to the U.S. 

Fisk explained how people may leave their home countries due to lack of jobs, economic instability and lack of education. The U.S. can provide them job opportunities, safety and higher standards of living. 

While DACA provides benefits such as work authorization, stability and support for families, subjection to law enforcement is still a possibility regardless of DACA status. Although Isamael Ayala-Uribe was a DACA recipient, he died this past September while in ICE custody. 

After the event, Fisk explained how DACA impacts the Hispanic community at CMU. 

“I feel like the Hispanic community on campus is really tight knit,” she said. “And I think even taking one person away from the community says a lot. Each person within the community holds a special spot, whether they’re a freshman or a senior. If one of them wasn’t able to be here, it would impact everybody.”

DACA gives student immigrants opportunities to expand their education.

“It’s intended to give people opportunities that are important in the U.S., specifically for people looking to go into higher education or just education in general,” said Fisk. 

Fisk hopes that students walk away from this event feeling both informed and mindful of other’s circumstances.