Jesenia was the first in her family to go to school.
She wasn’t the first to finish high school or even graduate from college.
Jesenia, 17, whose family fled from the Dominican Republic to Chicago when she was just a toddler, became the first of her family to walk into any type of school 12 years ago.
Today she is only a few months away from finishing her junior year at a high school nestled in Chicago’s 26th Ward. But while many of her classmates are eagerly looking forward to becoming seniors and applying to college, Jesenia is apprehensive about the next academic year because of the constraints of her citizenship status.
“Sometimes I get depressed just thinking about it,” said Jesenia, who spoke on the condition that her last name not be published for fear that authorities may force her family to leave the country. “I know that no matter how good my grades are, it won’t make a difference because I am not an American citizen. Without a Social Security number, I cannot receive financial aid so college is out of the question.”
Jesenia’s case is not unusual. The Pew Hispanic Center, a nonpartisan research group in Washington, D.C., reports that 2.7 million undocumented immigrants are minors. Every year, more than 65,000 of these students graduate from high school, according to a 2009 College Board report. Although they have the opportunity to excel in school, their illegal status makes it challenging for them to apply for work, join the military or otherwise pursue their dreams.
For Jesenia and other students in the same situation, the lack of a Social Security number also hampers the chance to apply for federal aid and loans when applying to college. Without that outside help from the government, many of these students’ parents cannot afford to send their children to a university.
“It is our duty as a nation to teach and train these children,” said Jennifer Nagda, associate director of the Young Center for immigrant Children’s Rights at the University of Chicago. “Why deprive them of an education when they are not at fault for coming into the country illegally?”
Young undocumented immigrants have some measure of hope from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a legislation that was signed by President Barack Obama in June. The temporary deferral program protects undocumented immigrant youth from deportation for at least two years. Under this legislation, those who qualify can apply for work permits, Social Security cards and driver’s licenses.
Requisites include having immigrated into the United States before 16, having lived in the U.S. for at least five years, and having maintained a clean criminal record. Applicants also must be 15 to 30 years old.
According to the Pew Hispanic Center, nearly 1.7 million young undocumented immigrants could qualify for the program. Statistics released by the Department of Homeland Security show U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services received more than 300,000 requests for deferred action since August. From that total, 53, 273 undocumented students have been granted reprieve so far.
Not everyone is as enthusiastic about the decision to grant amnesty to millions of undocumented immigrants. For example, Dave Gorak, executive director of The Midwest
Coalition to Reduce Immigration, argues that this type of initiative is only sending the wrong
message to undocumented immigrants. Gorak said the legislation would encourage even more illegal immigration into the U.S.
“It is rewarding those who have broken our laws,” said Gorak. “It provides parents precisely
what they sought when they brought their children illegally to the United States in the first
place: all of the benefits that this country has to offer. It comes with the absolute assurance
that other illegal immigrants will repeat this crime.”
However, immigrants who stand to benefit from the program have a decidedly different reaction. When asked about future plans or aspirations, Jesenia’s face brightens at the thought.
Jesenia said that she is in the midst of filling out the paperwork to apply.
“This [program] gives me the boost of confidence I need to continue to do well in school,” she said. “It is proof that there is light at the end of the tunnel.”
Yet, she is also aware that the measure is not a pathway to citizenship, but a temporary legal status. She hopes that, in the next four years, the president will provide a long-term solution as well.
“I may not be American on paper, but I am in spirit,” she said. “I have the same aspirations and ambitions as any other person born in the United States. All I want is a chance at life and a promising future just like everyone else.”
