Illinois Dreamers Speak After DACA Decision

Dominican student Carlos Benitez, president of the Undocumented and Immigrants Allyance, joins immigration experts and shares his experiences as a DACA recipient and his reaction to the Supreme Court's DACA ruling blocking the Trump administration from rescinding DACA.

"I remember DACA finally being this sign that us, as undocumented immigrants, were worthy to be here and that we deserved humanity. Having DACA does change the way employers treat you and it does change the way people treat you. DACA has allowed me to measure my own self-worth and to push for what i deserve because I am a person, I am intelligent and I am valuable--and my peers are too. DACA has given me that chance to pick up my own voice and raise the voices of others," Carlos said. 

Carlos' advised that the Supreme Court's decision made for a happy day. "But it's very momentary. It gives us some breathing room and we can use that to prepare to support our incoming undocumented students (this fall)," he said.

You can listen to an interview with Carlos on Illinois Public Media's The 21st Show here.