Hundreds of people marched at UC Santa Barbara Monday in support of immigration reform.
Some of the more than 750 marchers took part over the principles involved. But others are fighting for the right to stay in the U-S.
Monica Coronel was born in Jalisco, Mexico, but has lived in the US since she was six. Cornel is a graduate student at UCSB.
The 24 year old worries about whether she will be able to finish her education, and follow her dream of becoming a communications professor.
Concern about the situation prompted the UCSB undocumented students group “IDEAS” to sponsor Monday’s march through the campus.
March 5th was the deadline set by President Trump for Congress to come up with an immigration plan to replace the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Congress failed to come up with a replacement for DACA, or act on the immigration reform issue. But, judges have ruled in favor of lawsuits forcing the federal government to renew the program.
Demonstrator Danielle Moeller says it’s upsetting that so many of her classmates, and so many people in general, are caught in immigration limbo.
Many of the marchers say they aren’t optimistic that immigration reform will happen anytime soon. But, they say they want to keep the pressure up to not only protect the nearly 700,000 people enrolled in DACA, but to push for legal status for other undocumented immigrants they say are just trying to create better lives for their families.
