DACA Debate: No solution leaves local paralegal in limbo

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Last night’s State of the Union hit a rocky point when President Donald Trump laid out his pillars of reform to DACA and the immigration process.

The president was met with “boo’s” when he talked about ending what his office calls chain migration, claiming immigrants can help any family member follow them into the US.

“It’s frustrating and I know I am speaking for a lot of people but it’s frustration and fear those are the emotions that we are feeling right now,” said Francesca Donarye who works now as a paralegal at the Vanessa Gonzalez’s immigration law firm.

Donayre’s future in the U.S. lies in the hands of Congress. She migrated to the U.S. with her parents when she was seven. In 2012 she’s received DACA status.  Since last September she and her family have had to scramble for answers.

“They just keep playing and playing and they’re not really giving us a solution,” Donarye said after we asked her about if she watched the President’s address.

She along with her employer, Gonzalez, were distraught from how the President painted the picture of immigration in the Unites States.

“What I’ve seen out of the Trump administration is a lot of misinformation about how immigration law works in the first place.,” Gonzalez said.

The White House unveiled a four-tiered proposal first giving “Dreamers” a 10- to-12-year path to citizenship. Then creating a $25 billion trust fund to strengthen border security. Requesting a limit the number of green cards available to the relatives of U.S. citizens and end the diversity visa lottery.

Gonzalez says her work load has only increased since Trump took office. Since his September order on DACA, she’s also had a paralegal who’s future she’s also uncertain about.

“We have staff here in the office who have DACA and we as a staff have to decide at some point are we going to have to have a conversation that you can no longer work here when you’re work permit expired,” Gonzalez said referring to Donarye. “That did happen when we hired we had that conversation because it was after Trump’s announcement.”

Gonzalez adds that several parts of the President’s plan are flawed in an already slow and complex process.

“We already have in place what he seems to be asking for with the merit-based system. There are already visas for professors, for athletes and for specialized people.”

Gonzalez also says the alleged chain migration that caught the president “boo’s” the other night is not true. Her and Donarye see first hand how long the immigration process can take.

“People wait years and years to be able to become a U.S. Citizen,” Donarye said.

A judge allowed for current recipients to renew their DACA applications. Donarye has applied for renewal. She does not know when she will hear back. Now she and her family wait for what happens before DACA ends March 5th.

“We’re wondering what’s the next step, what’s going to happen.”