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Young immigrants facing deportation look to Congress for quick action on DACA

Posted at 7:16 PM, Jan 10, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-10 21:16:22-05

SALT LAKE CITY– Local immigration attorneys are applauding a federal ruling to block the Trump administration from ending the DACA program, but they’re pushing for a more permanent solution.

During negotiations with bipartisan lawmakers on Tuesday, President Trump appeared open to a potential deal for the so-called Dreamers.

A setback came hours later when a federal judge in California issued a nationwide injunction, saying the program remains in place while pending legal challenges proceed.

The Deferred Action Childhood Renewals protects 700,000 young immigrants from deportation.

“It gives us hope,” said Lucero Barrera, a DACA recipient.

Barrera says her life has been in limbo since the Trump administration set a March 5th cut-off date for Dreamers. The aspiring attorney wants Congress to take action.

“It’s terrifying sometimes," Barrera said. "Your future is up in the air, and you don’t really know what you can do."

Fox 13 spoke with Rep, Mia Love, a Republican representing Utah's Fourth District, about the future of DACA.

“I think that what came out of the President’s meeting yesterday, from what I hear, was positive,” Love said.

As a daughter of parents who are immigrants, the Congresswoman says this is a personal issue for her. She is working on several pieces of bipartisan legislation to keep Dreamers in the only place they consider home.

“One of the things that I do not like is when a president does executive orders, is that another person can take it away, which is why we need to have this immigration reform done in Congress," Love said.

Immigration attorneys say DACA recipients can submit their application for renewals, but it could take several weeks until they hear back.