Puget Sound 'Dreamers' respond as Trump tweets "DACA is probably dead"

[Admin 174]

SEATTLE --- A series of tweets by President Trump early Sunday morning is raising questions about the future of DACA. And DACA recipients in the Puget Sound area are taking notice.

The first tweet:

"DACA is probably dead because the Democrats don't really want it, they just want to talk and take desperately needed money away from our Military."

Just 10 minutes later the president tweeted:

"I, as President, want people coming into our Country who are going to help us become strong and great again, people coming in through a system based on MERIT. No more Lotteries! #AMERICA FIRST”

Nearly 800,000 young immigrants in the U.S. are protected by DACA, of which 17,000 are in Washington state. The tweet is making the future seem even more uncertain for DACA recipients.

“There's a lot of uncertainty going on for sure,” said 23-year-old Maricruz Palma. Like many other students with DACA protection, she is worried about her future.

The University of Washington student is studying finance. She came to the U.S. from Mexico at the age of 11.

“I came here because my parents wanted a better life,” said Palma.

Paul Quinonez is the Director of Washington Dream Coalition and was 7 when he arrived in the U.S. His DACA status expires next year.

“I can’t just plan my life a year out. I need to have certainty. I need to know what the future will hold. I’ve been able to graduate from university and take my career to a certain level,” said Quinonez.

Palma says Trump's tweets have left DACA recipients wondering what's going to happen.

“They leave us in a limbo-type of situation," Palma said.

Last year, Trump said he wanted to phase out the program unless Congress sends him legislation by March to keep it. Trump and Congress are attempting to reach a deal as part of a federal spending bill that congressional leaders must pass by Friday to avoid a government shutdown.

Last week, President Trump rejected an immigration deal drafted by a bipartisan group of senators.

The deal included a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and $1.6 billion for border security--including Trump’s promised border wall.

Trump's tweet: "DACA is probably dead because the Democrats don't really want it, they want to talk and take desperately needed money away from our Military" --confuses some people.

“I think it should be treated separately. They are two different completely issues. I didn't think military deals with immigration,” said Palma.

“I think he’s definitely trying to confuse people and pitting communities out there,” said Quinonez. “You can solve both things. You can increase defense funding and you can pass the Dream Act and there’s bipartisan funding for it.”

As for Trumps' follow up tweet, Palma says she has worked hard and wants to give back.

“We are part of this economy. We go to school. We do taxes,” said Palma. “It's not that I'm taking things for free.”

Source: http://komonews.com/news/local/trump-tweets-daca-is-probably-dead-puget-sound-dreamers-respond