Faces of Dreamers: Linda Escot and Ricardo Lujan, Southern Oregon University

This is one in a series of posts on individual Dreamers, undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as young children, many of whom are under threat of deportation following the Trump administration’s decision last month to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, or DACA.

Southern Oregon University (SOU) student Linda Escot was brought to the United States at age 6 and dreams of becoming a pediatrician, but says the Trump administration’s decision to rescind DACA “was like a punch in the face.” Recent Southern Oregon graduate Ricardo Lujan, who worked his way through college, is now reconsidering his plans to go to law school.

Escot and Lujan told their stories earlier this month in a Mail Tribune article about how the national DACA debate is leaving young immigrants like them in limbo.

Escot is starting her junior year at SOU, where she takes challenging science courses in preparation for a career in medicine. Without legal status, Escot said she doubts she can get a private loan to help finance the high cost of medical school. She would graduate from SOU but would not become a pediatrician.

“My hopes and dreams would end there,” she said.

Lujan, who was brought to the United States at age 8, earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and moved to Portland this summer after landing a job with the Oregon Student Association.

“I planned on going to law school. That has always been a dream of mine,” said Lujan. “I will definitely have to postpone that. If DACA is rescinded, how will I even get a loan to go to law school in the first place?”

Read the full article with their stories here.