Just like many other students at Baruch College, Angelina Lorenzo feels the pressure to succeed. While school experiences differ immensely for a variety of reasons, one factor in Lorenzo’s life makes her educational success so special: she is an undocumented student. Along with her citizenship status, she is a recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
Lorenzo, a Dominican 19-year-old junior, often sports her hair pulled back into a bun, along with a pair of maroon glasses. In class, she absorbs the information of the day with a cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee close by, which she drinks religiously.
Lorenzo’s academic success dates back to her time at public school in the Bronx. She was the valedictorian in both middle school and high school. In Baruch, Lorenzo continues such trends. Despite her quiet nature, she responds with great clarity when prompted by a teacher to engage.
Chuckling lightly, Lorenzo remarked, “It’s a Hispanic thing. It’s just culture. In the Hispanic culture, they believe education is the way to success.”
Despite her achievements, her success is at risk. Republican nominee Donald Trump has vowed an agenda for mass deportation. Lorenzo, along with millions of others scattered across the states, are directly at risk.
According to the Pew Research Center, “there were 11.1 million unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. in 2014.” Despite Trump’s rhetoric about the rising number of immigrants, the Pew Research Center asserts that the population has remained unchanged since 2009; unauthorized immigrants only account for less than four percent of the nation’s population. However, six states – California, Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey, and Illinois – account for nearly 60 percent of the unauthorized immigrants in 2014, the Pew Research Center stated.
As a Public Affairs major, Lorenzo exerts heavily vigilance with news coverage. The presidential election, in particular, has her attention. While she is not a fan of either candidate, she watched the second presidential debate.
Frustrated, she stated, “I can’t believe I watched it. It was a joke.”
Regardless of her opinion, she understands there are risks and that “you should vote anyway.” Because of class, now she is aware that a tie would lead to a Senate vote, which currently leans Republican.
Lorenzo considers herself fortunate and acknowledges that others don’t get chances like she has.
“I’m a DACA recipient, I don’t know what’s going to happen,” said Lorenzo.
DACA was enacted in 2012 under President Obama. The program allows undocumented immigrants under 30 to apply for two-year deferrals excluding them from deportation; provisions state that they must be a student, high school graduate or veteran of the armed forces or Coast Guard.. However, unlike provisions found in the DREAM Act, which offers a path to citizenship, DACA does not increase the opportunity to obtain legal permanent resident status.
There are numerous advantages for America which immigrant legalization can offer. According to the Center for Immigration Studies, the DREAM Act can lead to a significant increase in tax revenue due to recipients earning more and paying more in taxes over their lifetime. However, they acknowledge certain factors need to be considered when this argument is presented: tax benefits will only be seen in the long-term, which won’t prevent an influx of new students in the short term; this limited spacing may reduce lifetime earnings and tax payments for U.S. citizens; taxpayers will fund a program that offers no guarantees that enrolled students will complete the two years the act requires.
From a purely economic standpoint, programs like the DREAM Act and DACA can enhance the job market. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 19 percent of of Hispanics in the labor force had a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Lorenzo is a humanitarian at heart. Her high school, Urban Assembly School for Wildlife Conservation, helped Lorenzo matriculate to Baruch; the school helped with her financial aid process. It went as far as to nominate her for the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) scholarship, which helped with the financial aspect of college.
With blissful nostalgia and a wide grin, Lorenzo remarked, “I still can’t believe it to this day. That scholarship has been such a blessing.”
Now Lorenzo wants to continue her philanthropic spirit. While she is unsure about her options for graduate school, she did describe her long-term aspirations. Her deep passion for the homeless drives her desire to open a shelter; her shelter would focus on “at-risk” homeless to help put them back on their feet before the situation gets any worse.
“That’s my aspiration – to give back,” said Lorenzo wistfully.
Until then, Lorenzo is focused on how this election will unfold. While she is concerned about the types of executive orders Trump would hope to pass, Lorenzo is adverse to the idea of leaving America, an ever popular alternative that has floated during this election cycle.
“If I leave, he won,” fired Lorenzo.
