PHOENIX (AZFamily)<\/b> \u2014 A Valley woman is close to reaching her dream of becoming a nurse after years of hard work at Arizona State University. As the Trump administration chips away at protections for people who were brought to the U.S. as children, she fears her dream could slip away.<\/p>\n
Maria Leon Pena is on track to graduate this December from ASU\u2019s nursing school. The 28-year-old is a so-called \u201cDreamer\u201d promised an opportunity through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals<\/a> (DACA) program. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been in nursing school since 2023,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n But now every step forward in her education is clouded by fear that she could lose it all. \u201cEver since I was a little girl, I always wanted to help and take care of others,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n She was brought to the U.S. when she was 5 years old. Her mother left Mexico in search of work and a better life, and Maria has called Arizona home ever since. <\/p>\n \u201cMy mother saw an opportunity here to work. You don\u2019t know if you\u2019re gonna have a meal on the table for dinner, it facilitates trying to find a better place,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n At the age of 16, Maria became a \u201cDreamer.\u201d For years, DACA has shielded her from deportation, giving her the ability to work and attend school. Arizona voters even changed the state constitution to allow \u201cDreamers\u201d to pay in-state tuition<\/a>. But Maria says lately, those protections feel more fragile than ever. <\/p>\n \u201cWhen I hear what the current administration is saying about us, I really feel like I\u2019m stuck in the middle of it and there\u2019s not a lot I can do. I feel a lot of anxiety, very vulnerable,\u201d she described.<\/p>\n The Trump administration has launched a multi-front attack on DACA and other non-citizens are legally permitted to be in the country.<\/p>\n On Thursday, the feds announced a sweeping review of more than 55 million people with valid U.S. visas<\/a> for any potential violations that could lead to deportation. The crackdown includes urging DACA recipients and anyone in the country illegally to self-deport.<\/p>\n \u201cIt has been really hard seeing all of the raids, all of the family separation, because I wouldn\u2019t want that happening to mine. And I know that we\u2019re at risk and we\u2019re vulnerable,\u201d she stated.<\/p>\n With the future of DACA in question, thousands of \u201cDreamers\u201d across Arizona are facing the same uncertainty.<\/p>\n See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it<\/a>.<\/p>\n