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SANTA ANA COLLEGE el Don/eldonnews.org • MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2017
ASSEMBLY / Hundreds of protestors flock to the Civic Center Plaza Sept. 5, wielding signs, flags and messages of hope.
SANTA ANA JOINS NATION IN DACA PROTEST
Orange County citizens
took to the streets after
the Trump administration
ended the popular program.
STORY BY TIMOTHY BRAVO
PHOTOS BY CARLOS DUARTE
Marching down the streets of
downtown Santa Ana Sept. 5, Luis
Ramirez, a member of Orange
County Immigrant Youth United,
would not back down. With a
megaphone clutched in his right
hand and an army behind him, he
led sea of protesters who fl ooded
the streets with banners, music
and chants decrying the Trump
administration’s decision to end
Deferred Action for Childhood
Arrivals — a program that pro-
tects almost 800,000 people who
were brought to the United States
illegally as children.
OCIYU, an advocacy organi-
zation led by undocumented
immigrant youth, organized the
rally aft er Attorney General Jeff
Sessions announced DACA recip-
ients would have to renew their
protected status by Oct. 5.
Th e march is only one part
of the massive local opposition
against President Trump, with the
city, business owners, education
offi cials and the Santa Ana com-
munity rallying to empower the
region’s undocumented.
“We know there are people who
are afraid. It is okay for people to
be afraid. What is not okay is for
people to not be active at whatever
level they can,” said Ramirez, a
DACA recipient since the pro-
gram started in 2012. “It is the
time to take action. If you want
something to change — defend all
11 million that are undocumented
in this country — you need to
step out.”
DACA recipients, also known as
“Dreamers,” were protected from
deportation for two years, and
could then apply to renew their
status. Approved immigrants are
also eligible to attend school and
receive authorization to work.
Over 90 percent of Dreamers are
currently employed and almost 45
percent are still in school, ac-
cording to data by the think tank
Center for American Progress.
“DACA allowed me to work
while I was studying, which was
the only reason I was able to study.
It allowed me to contribute to my
family’s income when my father
was our primary provider,” said
Jose Servin, the media and com-
munications organizer for OCIYU
and a Santa Ana College alumnus.
[Full disclosure: Servin was a for-
mer el Don editor-in-chief.]
In a statement released in early
September by Santa Ana Col-
lege President Linda Rose and
the Rancho Santiago Commu-
nity College District’s Board of
Trustees, the college reaffi rmed
a March resolution that pledged
support for students regardless
of immigration status, national
origin or religion. Th e statement
included promises that the district
would not allow federal immigra-
tion offi cers on RSCCD campuses,
share student records regarding
immigration and citizenship
status with immigration offi cials
or help create a registry based on
characteristics such as religion,
race or sexual orientation.
“Th e Rancho Santiago Commu-
nity College District, Santa Ana
College and Santiago Canyon
College remain deeply commit-
ted to each and every one of our
students and to creating a safe and
secure educational environment,”
read the resolution.
Undocumented students are an
active community at SAC, apply-
• NEXT PAGE
BY THE NUMBERS
690,000 undocumented
immigrants were enrolled
in DACA by Sept. 4.
24 years old — the
average age of
immigrants enrolled in
DACA.
548,000 DACA
recipients come from
Mexico, the top country
of origin.