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Utahns rally in support of ‘Dreamers’ amid concerns about changes to DACA

Posted at 9:42 PM, Aug 31, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-31 23:42:51-04

SALT LAKE CITY - Over a hundred people gathered at Utah's Capitol Building Thursday night to voice concern over a change President Donald Trump could make.

"I think it's a real possibility, but I think it's threatening too," said Agustin "Tino" Diaz, a supporter of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program initially implemented during former President Barrack Obama's presidency.

"It's a program that allows young undocumented children to work in the country legally and be here for a certain amount of time," explained Diaz.

Those children are often referred to as Dreamers, and were brought to the United States by their families.

In the past couple of weeks, President Trump has threatened to make good on his campaign promises to alter or even end DACA completely. That decision could be made as early as Friday.

"Just the immediacy of cutting it without any information or work with Congress or the communities themselves... is a big problem," Diaz added.

Of the hundred or so supporters of DACA that showed up Thursday, the majority were not "dreamers" themselves.

"A lot of them are too afraid to come out," said Maria Del Mar Gonzalez, a spokesperson with the ACLU.

"There was many comments I got on social media from people saying they wanted to be here, but they were afraid," added Diaz. "So, when you create that kind of fear they will be afraid to go outside and that's a problem in this American society."