With DACA in limbo, Dreamers and immigration lawyers face psychological stress and distrust

LAS VEGAS — In 2012, the birth of DACA offered deportation relief for about 800,000 young undocumented immigrants across America.

Fast forward to 2018, some mental health experts now say this program that was meant to offer relief is now linked to a stressed-related syndrome that emerged last fall, after the Trump administration threatened to end DACA.

Reports of Psychological Consultation reveals that some Dreamers have a hard time sleeping, struggle to focus in school, avoid public places and distrust others.

Luz Garcini, a post fellow psychology doctorate at Rice University in Houston, Texas, studied the health of unauthorized Latino immigrants and deportees. She says that Dreamers face unique stressors due to their complicated social and legal status.

It’s a stress that Kyle Reyes, a DACA recipient in Nevada, is familiar with.

Kyle says that the “DACA stress-related syndrome” will only get worse if you allow it to yourself.

“It’s hard to relax when you have something in the back of your head that everything you worked hard for could be taken in a snap by just court decision… but I want to show everyone that doubts us that we are here to work, we are here to succeed, we are here to say proud citizens of the United States — but the only thing stopping us is a paper.”

The uncertain fate of DACA is taking a serious toll, and not only on dreamers. Immigration lawyers also say they feel they’re in some sort of legal limbo.

“We don’t even know what to advise our clients anymore, immigration laws and policies used to take years to change,” said Vissia Calderon. “Now it seems that everyday is changing, pabago bago it reflects on his policies and in the tweets. I’m not just saying Mr. Trump. The administration is playing with the lives and aspirations of these DACA recipients and their family’s.”

Calderon adds that although USCIS is not accepting any new DACA applicationss, renewals for Dreamers who were already DACA recipients are still being accepted — but processing is slow.

“I have clients who have still pending DACA renewal that we filed after January; in fact after November, and these are still pending. Just like many petitions that are pending with the immigration office right now. I have clients who were previously eligible but they were so scared.”

It was September of last year when the Trump administration announced that they were ending DACA effective March 5th, 2018.

But March 5th came, and there is still no clear answer about what’s happening next with DACA.

Supporters and immigration advocates say that they will continue to fight for these young Dreamers until they find a permanent solution.