The Eugene City Council Monday approved a proposal from the Human Rights Commission which would set up a 10-thousand dollar scholarship fund for local DACA recipients to renew their status.
The Trump Administration has threatened to rescind DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood arrivals. It has also moved up the deadline for recipients to renew their status to October 5th. The newly approved fund would help with that $495 dollar fee.
Hugo Nicolas is a DACA recipient who lives in Eugene. He says he was brought to the U.S. by his mother from Mexico when he was 11. Nicolas says having DACA has allowed him to get a driver’s license and made it easier to work and attend the University of Oregon. Nicolas says there’s a lot of fear in the Latino community especially since Trump was elected president.
Nicolas: “Even though I have deferred action. It is a protection. To be protected from deportation. But a federal agent can pull me over and stop me and deport me if they decide to. So, as we know, it’s not a pathway to citizenship. So we are always at risk.”
Nicolas says he keeps his bedroom door locked at night because he’s afraid of ICE coming to get him. He says having the support of the Eugene City Council and community means a lot.
