USC Dornsife students share their thoughts on the Supreme Court’s DACA decision
Paulina Rodriguez woke up Thursday morning preparing for the worst.
Despite remaining hopeful, she did not anticipate that the U.S. Supreme Court would reject President Donald Trump’s attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals — also known as DACA — with a 5-4 decision.
“The idea of losing hundreds of thousands of working and/or educated Americans who have lived all their lives here would have been an unimaginable tragedy. So, yes, this is definitely a celebration,” said Rodriguez, a junior majoring in philosophy at USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. “But, of course, I am celebrating with caution.”
DACA had temporarily halted deportation and provided work permits for undocumented students whose immigrant parents brought them to the U.S. as children, until the Department of Homeland Security rescinded the program in 2017. Thursday’s ruling restored DACA.
The effects of Thursday’s ruling have been felt across the USC community, with students like Rodriguez voicing relief — but also voicing concern moving forward.
“After the celebrations — which never really last long before something else comes up — we all have to mobilize, first in getting people out to vote, and then working on a new plan for the next term,” Rodriguez said, “because one thing is clear: Regardless of who America votes for, we will still have to keep fighting.”
Like Rodriguez, sophomore Genesis Guerra said she was extremely anxious leading up to the decision and was “ecstatic” after it was announced.
Coming from a public school in Dallas, Guerra — a U.S. citizen — said she knew a lot of people affected by DACA. She knew the privileges she had compared to them and worked to show her support in Dallas and when she arrived at USC Dornsife.
“I had some suitemates my first year at USC, and a few of them were of DACA status — and seeing their struggle was something I have always sympathized with,” said Guerra, a sophomore majoring in international relations and Chicano/Latino studies.
“I know today’s decision, although it isn’t a road to citizenship, will give them ease as they won’t have to fear deportation.”