A Texas Circuit Court Judge ruled against President Obama's executive action on immigration Monday night. This puts on hold immigration programs DAPA (Deferred Action for Parents) and the expansion of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals).
South Florida immigration groups aren't taking this decision lying down.
On Tuesday, several groups gathered to protest the judge's decision. DAPA and the DACA expansion have been put on hold, but some undocumented Floridians are still optimistic.
"What President Obama did, it is constitutional so this is just a little a small bump. It’s just a political strategy trying to put fear in our communities," said Diego Ramirez, an undocumented student. "But we still have hope and we’re still gonna get all the people who are eligible for DACA plus and for DAPA to get ready."
In 2012, Michael Sanchez began the immigration group Homestead Equal Rights for All. The organization works with undocumented immigrants to inform them of their rights and encourage them to apply for immigration programs.
"My best friend, she was undocumented. And at the time I didn't know what that meant until I went to one of the meetings and through there I met some really great people. Through there I actually met my boyfriend and found out that he was undocumented as well," said Sanchez. "Through that I found more passion to fight for them and keep them here."
Armando Carrada is an undocumented student at Miami Dade College.
"A lot of people qualify [for DACA and DAPA] and those people just come here to have a better life than they have in their countries," said Carrada. "If I had stayed in my country, I would've maybe joined a gang or something like that. Here I've been able to actually finish my school, go to work and go to college because of DACA."
With this ruling, undocumented families will have to wait until the case is taken up by the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.
