Middle Tennessee DACA Recipients Travel To DC To Push For ‘Dream Act’

Yenin, a Trevecca Nazarene University student who lives in Smyrna, wants to help those who need it as a bilingual counselor once she graduates from the Nashville college. But she may not get a chance.

Yenin is a recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals protection, an Obama-era immigration policy which allowed 700,000 people who arrived in the United States as children to remain and work or study in this country without fear of deportation. DACA was rescinded by the Trump Administration, putting Yenin — who preferred not to give her last name given the uncertain future of the program — in deep doubt as to what the future holds. Yenin is one of three Middle Tennessee DREAMers joining 100 from 25 states nationwide to lobby Congress to pass the Dream Act, which would keep the DACA program alive.

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“Tennessee has been my home ever since I was 4 years old. I have been serving my community through the National Honor Society, Rotary and BETA club, and I graduated with honors as a Tennessee Scholar,” she said. “I work two jobs, one as a cashier in my community and also as a preschool teacher to pay my way through school. Losing DACA would leave me without the ability to pay for my tuition and pursue
my dreams of becoming a licensed professional counselor."

Yenin, who was born in Latin America, hopes her story and her hopes for the future will persuade Congress to pass the Dream Act.

"I want to be a Christian bilingual counselor so that I can help those who have been impacted by our immigration system, other tragic life events, or are struggling with mental health,” she said. “My dream of helping those in need would not be possible without DACA."

Also on today’s trip to Washington is Molly Haynes with Equal Chance for Education, a local foundation that works with Dreamers to help them go to college and succeed.

DACA recipients are required to have request to extend their time in the US into the Citizenship and Immigration Services offices by Thursday. The program is set to expire in March without Congressional action.

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