August 15, 2012 I was walking into a shop when I saw a friend of mine who also happens to be a DREAMER. She was super happy to tell me President Obama had opened Deferred Action (DACA) for DREAMERs. At that moment I had no idea what this document was or how was it going to affect our lives. I remember asking her if we were going to get our citizenship. I learned later that DACA was just a work permit and nothing else.

The first months of Deferred Action were very disorganized. Nonprofit organizations wanted to help all the DREAMERs they could reach out to, but they did not even know what the process to obtain the permit was going to be. I attended a DACA workshop at Navy Pier hosted by several organizations and it completely failed. They didn't plan for so many people, therefore millions of people didn't even get close to the doors. I was one of those people. It was frustrating how it seemed that nothing was in order. I was terrified to the bones; I knew that by applying I was going to prove my family's immigration status. I was afraid they could get deported or go to prison. My fear was confirmed by some organization leaders. They told me Deferred Action was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and if the government did not approve people's information, applicants would be sent to immigration authorities. Therefore I waited to see what was going to happen to the first people that applied.

Many of the DREAMERS I knew did apply and they all received their work permit. DREAM Action NIU and many other places started hosting workshops to help fill out the Deferred Action application. Ironically, I was one of the helpers at some of these workshops. By December most of my friends already had their work permit. Many of the people that knew my situation were trying to push me to apply but I still did not trust the system. What was going to happen to us after the two years? Better yet, what was going to happen to all the information that we provided? In two years they could get that information and maybe hurt my family.

April of 2013, I needed a way to finance my school and I needed a Social Security number to apply for an internship position. By this time many had applied for DACA, and I knew that the more applicants there were, the more costly it would be to deport everyone. The only way that I could continue my studies was to apply for Deferred Action. By this time the process was more transparent, and everyone knew what documents to use. Also, people realized that they did need an attorney to look over their application just to be safe. My process was still very emotional and not so clear. May 2013 I received my Deferred Action work permit.

I became one more of those DREAMERs whose doors opened to many possibilities. I obtained two jobs and was given the opportunity to intern at VISANOW. Like many of my friends I could dream and actually accomplish my goals for at least two years. Some of the DREAMERS that I knew traveled to other states like California to do research. Others were hired in departments that related to their fields of study, like physical therapy. Some just simply were hired at a job that did not pay them below minimum wage. Today all of the DREAMERs that I know have higher self-esteem, and their hope of someday becoming a professional has come back. Not only has it helped DREAMERS but also the U.S. economy as a whole. With all the talent and hard work now being recognized, Deferred Action has to have improved the USA for the better.

I believe that DACA still is not good enough. There is no path to citizenship for all these talented people. Also, there are still many questions of what is going to happen after the two years are up. Are we going to be able to renew our application or will we be able to apply for citizenship? What has happened to the information we provided to the U.S. government? Deferred Action has provided many benefits, but hopefully comprehensive immigration reform is better organized and we will finally have a path to citizenship for everyone.