President Donald Trump is reportedly ready to end the Deferred Action for Child Arrivals program, leaving thousands of young people with uncertain futures.
Nearly 790,000 young unauthorized immigrants have benefited from DACA since it was created five years ago. They must have entered the U.S. before turning 16 and have no serious criminal background to remain in the country.
It does not convey legal status but does provide temporary protection from deportation and permission to legally work. The program has cleared the way for recipients to obtain drivers licenses, work permits, and, in some states, qualify for in-state tuition.
Angel Romero, 19, was brought to the U.S. from Mexico at the age of 2. He was educated in Stafford County, Virginia, and has been active in area politics.
"We are Americans in all forms, cultural Americans," Romero said. "We grew up in the schools. We grew up on American values. That's what we were raised on, and we're Americans in any form of the way except on a piece of paper."
"Seeing that DACA is going to be taken away, it is like a dagger to my heart," said Francisco Lasso, from Woodbridge.
Romero and Lasso are worried that the six-month window provided by the expected Trump decision will not be enough time for Congress to strike a deal allowing them to remain in the U.S. However, they do remain hopeful for a resolution that lets them continue with their lives.
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The delay in the formal dismantling of the DACA program would be intended to give Congress time to decide whether it wants to address the status of the legislation, two people familiar with the president's thinking told The Associated Press.
But it was not immediately clear how the six-month delay would work in practice and what would happen to people who currently have work permits under the program, or whose permits expire during the six-month stretch.
It was unclear exactly what would happen if Congress failed to pass a measure by the considered deadline, they said. The two spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter.
Romero and Lasso said they believe ending DACA could improve their lives if Congress replaces it with a path to citizenship.
"I'm being an optimist and saying maybe President Trump had that in mind when he gave them only six months."
For Freddy Burgos, a Virginia GOP activist and Trump supporter, ending DACA fulfills an important campaign promise by the president.
"I think it is an act of keeping promises that other politicians do not do," Burgos said. "This will show the American people whether Republicans in Congress are people of action or just words."
Sources told NBC News the decision, expected to come Tuesday, is not final until it announced.
