Picture retrieved from: news.streetroots.org What the End of DACA Would Mean for the Lives of Dreamers  By: Jesus Gomez It is thanks to DACA that Erika Fonseca, 21, an immigrant child who arrived in the U.S. at the age of 7, was granted temporary amnesty. Fonseca says, “I’m so thankful to Obama and DACA because it’s the reason I was able to get an ID, get my first paid job, and more importantly I got an opportunity to give my family a reason to feel proud and safe in this country.” On September 2017, Trump announced a possible termination of DACA and the decision has had negative effects on the mental health of immigrant students. But unless the U.S. Congress makes DACA into an actual law, the end of the program will affect much more people than just those who depended on it for legal status. I don’t think most Americans realize the mental impact of living with the thought that your life could change at any moment. It’s a terrible way to live and no should have to experience that. DACA changes this for many immigrants and gives them the opportunity to feel like they are part of their communities. While DACA does not provide the same benefits as full citizenship, by simply acknowledging these student’s right to live and work with protection from deportation it gives them a sense of belonging and self-worth. A belief that is necessary for combatting the toll of immigrant life on their mental health. Like Fonseca, there are many other individuals whose livelihoods also depend on the government program, but who must live with the fact that at any moment life for them could change forever. “My biggest fear is that they take DACA from us because I would go back to being here illegally,” says Raul Diaz, a DACA recipient who arrived in the U.S. at age 7 with his family. “Personally, without DACA I might as well start to forget the idea of finishing college because without it, I can’t work and if I can’t make money I can’t get ahead there’s no hope for my future.” Feelings of hopelessness caused by an undocumented status can lead to mental health issues, depression and in some cases even suicide. It seems hard to believe but its real and it has happened and will continue to happen unless something is done. According to feministing.com, Joaquin Luna was a young Dreamer who ended his own life as a result of distress over his undocumented status. “Every day I am scared that nothing, maybe only death will set me free from my anxiety. I have to live with the possibility that my life could come to a halt at any moment, anywhere, and at any time,” says Miguel Hernandez, a secondary education teacher major at Aurora University. When the government leaves the fate of hundreds and thousands of people on the line, it has real mental health consequences. The Trump Administration is playing with people lives by leaving everyone to guess as to whether or not they will lose their temporary legal status. And it’s not just about dealing with the law or having secure borders. These are real human beings, children, parents, and grandparents that are going to be affected by his decision to end of the program that gave people hope and changed lives forever. They are contributors to society, not criminals and they deserve our support.