LUBBOCK, Texas– Members of the Texas Tech chapter of Define American, a non-profit, non-partisan organization, spoke to EverythingLubbock.com on Friday about their trip to Washington D.C. on Tuesday, Nov. 12. A group of four students marched at the Supreme Court in support of DACA.
Three of the four students were able to sit down for an interview. Their names are Margaret Matheny, Deborah Gbadebo and Desiree Castorena.
“It was very emotional outside the supreme court some people had tears in their eyes, some people were just chanting really loudly, but it was very emotionally charged,” Matheny said.
The group waved signs and gathered on the steps of the Supreme Court building, hearing from DACA recipients and other allies.
Yessenia Duran, president of Texas Tech’s Define American chapter said she feels getting a conversation going about an issue like DACA can be difficult.
“It’s really hard to talk about these things because there’s so many stereotypes in place,” Duran said.
The Texas Tech Define American chapter is part of a network of other chapters. Define American is a non-partisan, non-profit organization. They were able to send the four young women through donations.
“The focus is on changing the conversation on immigration and it has a network of university chapters. The one at Texas Tech is actually the first chapter ever founded,” Duran said.
Although none of the students who attended are DACA recipients, the group feels it is important to express their solidarity.
“My parents are immigrants so I could have easily been a DACA recipient,” Castorena said.
The Supreme Court will decide on whether President Donald Trump’s call to end DACA is unconstitutional. The group hopes DACA will remain.
“This shouldn’t be about politics. This is about human beings, and basically preserving the few pathways they do have to contribute to society,” Gbadebo said.
