Alondra, a 19-year-old born in Mexico who came to the U.S. about a decade ago, grew up believing she could one day apply for an Obama-era immigration program that protects those who came to the country as children.
But the Arizona resident took a closer look when she heard one of her friends would not be eligible for the program first introduced in 2012, known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. She discovered it excludes anyone who has entered the country, or been born, after June 2007 — now 16 years ago.
“That is where I kind of realized what my situation was — that I was actually undocumented and in a very vulnerable position,” said Alondra, whose last name is being withheld because she is undocumented.
