The narrative of Dreamers—the young undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States as children—has been a complex and emotionally charged story in American politics for many years. The Obama administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, initiated in 2012, provided temporary relief to over 700,000 Dreamers by shielding them from deportation and allowing them to work legally in the U.S. But the story of Dreamers took a dramatic turn during the transition of power to President Donald Trump’s administration in 2017. In the lead-up to Trump’s inauguration, a significant number of Dreamers found themselves in a desperate race to re-enter the U.S. legally—an effort marked by uncertainty, hope, and the looming threat of new immigration policies.
The Dreamers’ Journey: From Childhood to Uncertainty
The term “Dreamers” is a reference to the DREAM Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors), a piece of legislation first introduced in 2001 that sought to provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as minors. Although the DREAM Act never passed in Congress, it served as the foundation for DACA, an executive order issued by President Barack Obama in 2012.
Under DACA, undocumented individuals who arrived in the U.S. before the age of 16, had lived in the country for at least five years, and met other specific criteria could apply for protection from deportation and work authorization. For many Dreamers, DACA provided a sense of security and opportunity in a country they considered their home. These young people grew up in the U.S., attended school, and integrated into American society, but their legal status remained precarious.
However, with the election of Donald Trump in 2016, the future of DACA and Dreamers became uncertain. Throughout his campaign, Trump had made strong promises to crack down on illegal immigration, including efforts to end DACA. This rhetoric created widespread fear among Dreamers and their families, who were unsure of their fate once the new president took office.
The Race Against Time: Re-entering the U.S. Before Trump’s Inauguration
As President Obama’s time in office wound down, Dreamers faced an unprecedented dilemma: they had to act quickly if they wanted to secure their legal status before Trump took office on January 20, 2017. The possibility of losing DACA protection—and with it, the ability to work legally and stay in the country—was a constant concern. As the clock ticked toward Trump’s inauguration, many Dreamers scrambled to renew their DACA status, while others who had not yet applied for the program sought to do so before the opportunity could be rescinded.
The rush to renew or apply for DACA was driven by uncertainty about what the Trump administration would do once it took power. Dreamers who had DACA status but whose protections were set to expire in the months after January 2017 were particularly anxious. They knew that once Trump assumed office, the future of their protections could be in jeopardy, and they wanted to avoid falling into an undocumented status.
In the months leading up to Trump’s inauguration, immigration attorneys and advocates worked tirelessly to guide Dreamers through the renewal process. According to reports, many were advised to submit their DACA renewals as soon as possible, even if their expiration dates were months away, to ensure that they would remain covered under the program in case Trump moved to end it immediately.
But there were obstacles. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the government agency responsible for processing DACA applications, had a significant backlog of cases. This added another layer of uncertainty for Dreamers, as they feared that delays could result in missed deadlines or complications in their applications. As the final days of Obama’s presidency dwindled, the race to secure DACA protection intensified.
The Trump Administration’s Move to End DACA
On September 5, 2017, less than eight months after Trump took office, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the termination of DACA. The decision was part of Trump’s broader agenda to end what he called “illegal immigration,” and it was met with a wave of protests from Dreamers and their supporters. The Trump administration set a timeline for phasing out the program, with the understanding that no new applications would be accepted, and renewal applications would be processed only for individuals whose DACA status was set to expire before March 5, 2018.
The decision to rescind DACA left hundreds of thousands of Dreamers in limbo. While the announcement gave some temporary reprieve to those who had already been granted DACA status, the future of Dreamers became uncertain once again. Immigration advocates and lawmakers, including Democratic leaders and a few Republicans, pushed for legislative solutions to protect Dreamers. However, their efforts were met with resistance from the Trump administration and many Republicans, who demanded stronger border security measures in exchange for any protections for Dreamers.
The Human Cost of the Race to Re-enter the U.S.
Behind the legal and political discussions surrounding DACA were real human stories—stories of young people who had lived most of their lives in the U.S. and felt American in every sense, despite their uncertain legal status. For many Dreamers, the race to renew or re-enter the U.S. legally wasn’t just a matter of paperwork—it was a matter of identity, security, and their future.
The fear and anxiety surrounding the potential loss of DACA protections were particularly intense for Dreamers who had family members who depended on their legal status. For example, many Dreamers had U.S. citizen children or spouses who would face immense challenges if they were forced to leave the country. The uncertainty also affected those who were students, workers, and small business owners, who feared the economic disruption of losing their ability to work legally.
In the face of such uncertainty, many Dreamers were forced to make difficult decisions. Some left the U.S. temporarily to visit family members abroad or to deal with personal matters, while others feared that traveling outside the country might jeopardize their ability to re-enter legally. As the deadline for Trump’s inauguration drew nearer, a sense of urgency took over, with many Dreamers racing to submit their applications or renewals before the new administration could change the rules.
The Continued Fight for Dreamers’ Rights
Since Trump’s announcement to end DACA, the fight for Dreamers’ rights has continued. Legal battles ensued, with several federal courts issuing injunctions to temporarily block the termination of the program. The issue of DACA protections remained a central point of debate in U.S. immigration policy discussions, even after Trump’s time in office.
In 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that the Trump administration’s efforts to end DACA were unlawful, allowing the program to remain in place. However, the future of DACA continues to hang in the balance, with ongoing litigation and calls for comprehensive immigration reform.
Conclusion
The race for Dreamers to re-enter the U.S. legally before Donald Trump took office in 2017 was marked by uncertainty, fear, and determination. As the future of DACA remained unclear, thousands of young immigrants faced the possibility of losing the protections they had relied on for years. While legal challenges have allowed DACA to continue for now, the fight for Dreamers’ rights is far from over. The legacy of this battle continues to shape the broader conversation about immigration reform and the future of young undocumented immigrants in the United States.
