WEBVTT 00:02.033 --> 00:04.633 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% JUDY WOODRUFF: Next month, the Supreme Court will hear arguments on the Obama era program 00:04.633 --> 00:09.633 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, which has protected hundreds of thousands 00:10.933 --> 00:14.133 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% of individuals, also known as dreamers. 00:14.133 --> 00:17.700 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% They were brought to the U.S. by their parents illegally when they were children. 00:17.700 --> 00:22.700 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% The issue before the court is whether the Trump administration acted legally when it 00:23.900 --> 00:26.833 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% sought to terminate the program in 2017. 00:26.833 --> 00:30.800 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Since then, DACA has been closed to new enrollees. 00:30.800 --> 00:35.800 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% Hari Sreenivasan recently traveled to Ohio to speak with DACA students about their experiences. 00:38.233 --> 00:41.933 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% It's the latest in our special series on Rethinking College, and it's part of our regular education 00:42.833 --> 00:44.966 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% segment, Making the Grade. 00:44.966 --> 00:49.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% MAN: After you have decided on what you want to study, you have to review the literature. 00:51.333 --> 00:54.066 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% HARI SREENIVASAN: Like many college students, 19-year-old Jimmy Rodriguez has a lot on his 00:54.066 --> 00:56.166 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% plate. 00:56.166 --> 00:59.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% He's taking a full course load this semester at Lorain County Community College in Ohio. 00:59.033 --> 01:02.866 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% In the evenings, he practices with the school's soccer team. 01:02.866 --> 01:07.866 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% But unlike most of his peers, Rodriguez is pursuing a degree and a future in a country 01:09.033 --> 01:11.166 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% he may one day be forced to leave. 01:11.166 --> 01:13.566 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% WOMAN: I know there are a couple of things I wanted to follow up with you on. 01:13.566 --> 01:15.700 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% And that is your paperwork for the DACA. 01:15.700 --> 01:18.366 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% HARI SREENIVASAN: Rodriguez is a DACA beneficiary. 01:18.366 --> 01:23.366 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% His parents brought him to the U.S. from Mexico in 2002, when he was a year-and-a-half old. 01:24.233 --> 01:25.866 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% He's never been back to Mexico. 01:25.866 --> 01:27.900 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% JIMMY RODRIGUEZ, College Student: DACA means the world to me. 01:27.900 --> 01:32.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% I'm able to get a job, a normal job, get my license, almost like a citizen, but not fully 01:34.966 --> 01:36.966 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% yet. 01:36.966 --> 01:39.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% HARI SREENIVASAN: He wants to be the first person in his family to graduate from college. 01:39.733 --> 01:44.600 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% But those plans were almost derailed last year when he and his father, who's also undocumented, 01:44.600 --> 01:48.966 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% were caught up in a federal ICE raid while working at a garden center. 01:48.966 --> 01:51.400 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Jimmy's dad caught some of the raid on his cell phone. 01:51.400 --> 01:56.366 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% JIMMY RODRIGUEZ: And they told us to shut up, to stop talking, that we were all illegal. 01:58.600 --> 02:03.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% HARI SREENIVASAN: Because he was protected by DACA, Rodriguez was released, but his father 02:03.333 --> 02:05.400 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% was detained for several months. 02:05.400 --> 02:10.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% He's out now and has been given a temporary work permit while he awaits his next immigration 02:10.033 --> 02:12.133 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% hearing. 02:12.133 --> 02:14.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% JIMMY RODRIGUEZ: It's always affected me since I found out I was undocumented, in school, 02:14.233 --> 02:18.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% in class, at work, at a game, thinking about your family, because you're not with them, 02:20.400 --> 02:22.866 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% so you're uncertain what's going to happen to them. 02:22.866 --> 02:27.866 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% HARI SREENIVASAN: According to the Migration Policy Institute, about 98,000 dreamers graduate 02:28.966 --> 02:31.000 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% from high school each year in the U.S. 02:31.000 --> 02:35.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Many enter the work force right away, but it's estimated 20 percent of DACA beneficiaries 02:35.433 --> 02:37.500 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% are enrolled in college. 02:37.500 --> 02:42.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% On a recent afternoon, as Ohio State University fans cheered on their football team, a small 02:44.166 --> 02:47.966 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% student group met nearby to discuss their goals for the upcoming school year. 02:47.966 --> 02:51.000 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% WOMAN: Who would we be targeting in the education systems? 02:51.000 --> 02:54.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% HARI SREENIVASAN: The four leaders of the newly formed Student Community of Progressive 02:54.533 --> 02:59.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Empowerment organization, which advocates for undocumented students, are all protected 02:59.100 --> 03:01.200 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% by DACA. 03:01.200 --> 03:02.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% LIZ, College Student: There are these kids that would have applied for it, but can't. 03:02.666 --> 03:04.766 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% So, they're undocumented. 03:04.766 --> 03:07.433 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% HARI SREENIVASAN: Nineteen-year-old Liz is a junior majoring in civil engineering. 03:07.433 --> 03:11.900 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% She prefers to go only by her first name, due to concerns about her family's safety. 03:11.900 --> 03:16.900 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Liz has lived in Ohio since she came to the U.S. from Mexico when she was 1. 03:19.366 --> 03:23.500 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% She's been on the dean's list and has a 3.7 grade point average. 03:23.500 --> 03:28.133 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% That type of academic performance would help most students get financial aid, but not dreamers. 03:28.133 --> 03:32.900 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% LIZ: The number one challenge that we face is a lack of financial aid. 03:32.900 --> 03:37.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% As DACA students, we don't get federal financial aid and a lot of public scholarships. 03:37.600 --> 03:39.100 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% HARI SREENIVASAN: How are you financing your education? 03:39.100 --> 03:42.700 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% LIZ: A lot of my education is financed with my own money. 03:42.700 --> 03:44.200 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% I work part-time as a server. 03:44.200 --> 03:46.866 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% I have been working since I was 16 to save up for college. 03:46.866 --> 03:49.966 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Other than that, I have had a handful of private scholarships. 03:49.966 --> 03:54.766 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% HARI SREENIVASAN: Like most dreamers, Liz had to apply as an international student, 03:54.766 --> 03:59.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% but Ohio allows DACA recipients to qualify for in-state tuition if they meet residency 04:01.833 --> 04:05.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% requirements; 23 other states and the District of Columbia have laws or university system 04:05.600 --> 04:10.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% policies that allow undocumented students to qualify for in-state tuition. 04:12.500 --> 04:14.866 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Liz wants to become an engineer, but she says it can be hard to stay focused when faced 04:14.866 --> 04:16.433 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% with the possibility of deportation. 04:16.433 --> 04:20.666 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% LIZ: It's a lot of anxiety knowing that you might not graduate. 04:20.666 --> 04:23.566 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% You have this long-term goal, but it's not certain. 04:23.566 --> 04:25.366 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% You can't work harder and get it. 04:25.366 --> 04:27.966 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% You can't study harder and get it. 04:27.966 --> 04:30.166 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% It's just completely out of your control. 04:30.166 --> 04:33.166 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% HARI SREENIVASAN: It's not just undergrads who are concerned. 04:33.166 --> 04:36.166 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% You're hoping to build a database that researchers can use to fight cancer? 04:36.166 --> 04:38.200 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% HAN GIL, College Graduate: Yes. 04:38.200 --> 04:40.066 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% HARI SREENIVASAN: Twenty-two-year-old Han Gil is a DACA recipient who is applying for 04:40.066 --> 04:43.200 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Ph.D. programs while working at a lab on campus. 04:43.200 --> 04:47.966 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% The recent Ohio State grad, who also prefers to go by only her first name, was born in 04:47.966 --> 04:51.433 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Korea and has been in the U.S. since the age of 4. 04:51.433 --> 04:55.333 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% She and other DACA beneficiaries must reapply every two years. 04:55.333 --> 05:00.366 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% HAN GIL: The programs I'm looking into are minimum five years. 05:01.233 --> 05:03.366 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% And reapplying costs money. 05:03.366 --> 05:08.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% It's hard for me to have any confidence in what I'm going to do in the future, when I 05:10.100 --> 05:12.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% can't even have the basics of knowing if I'm even going to be here or not. 05:12.666 --> 05:16.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% HARI SREENIVASAN: Those kinds of concerns are all too common for undocumented students, 05:16.533 --> 05:19.100 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% says Yolanda Zepeda. 05:19.100 --> 05:22.066 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% She's assistant vice provost in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Ohio State University. 05:22.066 --> 05:25.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% YOLANDA ZEPEDA, Ohio State University: What I find is, our students have to work a lot 05:25.333 --> 05:30.333 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% of hours in order to just pay for their schooling. 05:31.700 --> 05:33.766 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% That can very much extend the time to degree. 05:33.766 --> 05:38.766 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And I have seen students who start out very enthused and very determined, and , over time, 05:42.033 --> 05:44.166 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% they just get tired. 05:44.166 --> 05:47.700 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% HARI SREENIVASAN: Ohio State University doesn't disclose the number of enrolled DACA students, 05:47.700 --> 05:50.533 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% and many dreamers choose not to reveal their status. 05:50.533 --> 05:52.933 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% But there are campus programs aimed at giving them support. 05:52.933 --> 05:55.933 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% ANNA BABEL, Ohio State University: A lot of it is taking your own initiative to make sure 05:55.933 --> 05:59.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% that undocumented student concerns are getting into the daily life of the university. 05:59.600 --> 06:04.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% HARI SREENIVASAN: Around 300 faculty, staff and students have participated in a voluntary 06:04.433 --> 06:08.600 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% training program to become allies for undocumented students. 06:08.600 --> 06:11.600 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% Ohio State language professor Anna Babel is leading the effort. 06:11.600 --> 06:15.200 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% ANNA BABEL: They can run into problems with court dates, if they have a court date and 06:15.200 --> 06:18.800 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% they don't want to tell their professor what's going on in their life, maybe it conflicts 06:18.800 --> 06:21.900 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% with an exam or with a required class period. 06:21.900 --> 06:25.933 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% Many language departments traditionally have requirements for study abroad, and undocumented 06:25.933 --> 06:28.000 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% students just can't do that. 06:28.000 --> 06:30.200 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% HARI SREENIVASAN: As Ohio State and other schools try to help dreamers, they are aware 06:30.200 --> 06:32.866 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% that immigration policy is contentious. 06:32.866 --> 06:37.133 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% They also know that there are many who want to end DACA and support the Trump administration's 06:37.133 --> 06:39.166 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% efforts to do so. 06:39.166 --> 06:42.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% HANS VON SPAKOVSKY, Heritage Foundation: I think President Trump acted correctly in ending 06:42.033 --> 06:44.066 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% the program. 06:44.066 --> 06:46.300 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% HARI SREENIVASAN: Hans Von Spakovsky is a senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation 06:46.300 --> 06:48.733 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% in D.C., a conservative think tank. 06:48.733 --> 06:53.600 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% He has concerns, among other things, about universities giving in-state tuition to undocumented 06:54.200 --> 06:56.200 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% students. 06:56.200 --> 07:00.266 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% HANS VON SPAKOVSKY: Federal immigration law doesn't ban colleges and universities, state 07:02.200 --> 07:04.300 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% ones, from providing in-state tuition to aliens who are here illegally. 07:04.300 --> 07:09.300 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% But it does say that, if they do that, they have to provide in-state tuition to citizens 07:10.166 --> 07:11.833 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% who are from other states. 07:11.833 --> 07:14.400 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% That provision has never been enforced by the U.S. Justice Department. 07:14.400 --> 07:18.833 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% HARI SREENIVASAN: While the political battles are being fought, life goes on at universities 07:18.833 --> 07:20.333 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% for now. 07:20.333 --> 07:22.733 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Civil engineering major Liz is keeping focused on her studies. 07:22.733 --> 07:26.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% LIZ: For me, my number one goal is to do as much as I can and try as hard as I can to 07:26.666 --> 07:28.233 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% graduate. 07:28.233 --> 07:32.300 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% And I will do that until I -- until the last second that I can. 07:32.300 --> 07:36.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% HARI SREENIVASAN: Liz, Jimmy, Han Gil and many other dreamers across the U.S. will be 07:36.600 --> 07:41.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% waiting anxiously for the Supreme Court's decision on DACA, expected by next summer. 07:43.033 --> 07:45.100 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Hari Sreenivasan in Columbus, Ohio. 07:45.100 --> 07:48.700 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: Part of our series on Rethinking College.