In this video, attorney Lorena Rivas, who runs an immigration law firm based in Oklahoma, recounts a recent incident involving a close friend who holds DACA. ICE agents arrived at the friend's home searching for her undocumented husband. When the friend refused to disclose his whereabouts, the agents threatened and then detained her, despite her having a valid DACA work permit and deferred‑action status. Rivas explains that DACA provides a work authorization and protection from removal only while the program remains in effect, but it does not confer lawful permanent resident status or a green card. She describes the ICE officers’ disregard for her DACA status, the handcuffing of the woman in front of her child, and her own attempts to intervene by contacting ICE and visiting the detention center. The video serves as a warning and informational resource for DACA recipients about the limits of their protections and the potential for ICE enforcement actions.
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Hi, I'm attorney Lorena Rivas, and I have a law firm that serves immigrants all over the United States, but our primary office is in Oklahoma. And I wanted to make this video to share some information of something that happened last week, and I'm doing it in English because this is a video mainly for DACA individuals. And, you know, DACA people grew up here, went to school here, graduated, are, went to college, maybe, you know, English is probably your first language despite maybe being born somewhere outside of the United States. But, um, so last week a close friend of mine, um, was detained by ICE. Um, this individual has DACA, has had DACA for a very long time, and DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. So she had a work permit, social security number, working lawfully, and she was detained by ICE. ICE went to her home to look for her husband. Her husband has no status, um, but you know, they went to look for him and she was there with her child and ICE demanded that she turn over her husband or tell the authorities where he was at. And she was no, like didn't want to tell that information for obvious reasons. For reasons, right? This is her husband. This is the father of her child. This is a beloved member of hers. You know, he had no status and ICE demanded to find out where he was and she didn't want to share that information. And so they said, okay, then we're taking you in. And she even told them, look, I have DACA. And they were like, we don't care. We can still take you in. And they did detain her. They handcuffed her there in front of her child and took her into the detention center. And this is when I was contacted and, um, You know, I didn't know much information. All I know is that she was arrested, and I know that she is authorized to be here in the United States. She has deferred action, and she is authorized to work here in the United States. But yes, DACA, even though it does provide these protections, technically it's not citizenship. Technically, it's not a green card, legal permanent resident status, but it is the ability to remain and to work here in the United States as provided by immigration court protections and by executive power that was instilled and created DACA. So when I went to see her in jail, I asked for information and she confirmed everything. They said I either turn over my husband or I'm detained here. And I spoke with ICE too and I told them, well, she has DACA. And they're like, yeah, but she doesn't still have status. Again, which is true. Technically you don't have status. Yes, you have deferred action, which means you have the right to remain here and you can work here, that they're gonna defer deporting you, but the
