Gaby Encinas was just as surprised as she was ecstatic when she learned of the Supreme Court’s June 18 ruling that the Trump administration could not immediately end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

The program, established in 2012 under President Barack Obama, protects undocumented immigrants (Dreamers), who were brought to the U.S. by their parents as children, from deportation, and allows them to work legally in the U.S.

The ruling was surprising to many, including Encinas, the Dream Success Center's coordinator, who had braced for the worst.

“I saw the announcement, and I was very surprised because we were not expecting that ruling. So the minute I saw it, I started contacting the attorneys we work with to make sure I was reading it correctly,” Encinas said.

The ruling affects an estimated 600 students at Fresno State who visit the center to receive counseling and academic advising.

Chicano and Latin American Studies professor Dr. Luis Fernando Macias’ research focuses on immigration, particularly educational access for undocumented students. He believes many such students are resilient and have promising futures.

"For me, it is important to look at issues that our immigrant students largely face, specifically those that are of Latino heritage, and even more focused on those that are largely undocumented because their struggles are very particular and their activism and their campaigning has been so important," Macias said.

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