Emergency DACA rally in San José

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, brought stability and hope to the lives of nearly 800,000 people brought into the U.S. as children by allowing them to work and attend school without fear of deportation. When the Trump administration announced it will end DACA on September 5, activists and DACA recipients gathered quickly in front of the Martin Luther King, Jr. library in San
José.

With one stroke of a pen, Trump ripped away the hope of many. The response in the South Bay city was immediate. Students speaking at the rally said their future is now in the hands of Congress and they fear a bill will not come quickly enough. Lawmakers must pass legislation to save the program, which the Obama administration implemented through an executive action.

San José State University is one of many California universities and colleges that have vowed to support DACA students and promised that those who receive state financial aid will continue to get that money. According to the Pew Research Center, more than 220,000 young people in California have received DACA, more than in any other state.