#HereToStay: An undocumented student's story

The University of Connecticut is a medium sized public university located in Storrs, Connecticut. The school boasts a population of over 31,000 students. There are over 1,200 students who hail from areas outside of the United States. Within that population, there are almost 100 students who are currently undocumented. Many of these students are attending UConn under an executive action called the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). One of those students is Eric Cruz López.

Eric Cruz López studies in Laurel Hall ahead of class. Eric is a third-year secondary math education major at UConn. Like most students he spends his time balancing his school work with his other responsibilities. Unlike most students, Eric’s other responsibilities include fighting for the ability to remain in this country.

Eric speaks in front of students at a rally protesting the election of Donald Trump in front of Gampel Pavilion. Eric is one of around 750,000 people within the United States who have DACA. Eric came to the United States when he was six years old from Mexico and lived for the past 15 years in Connecticut. While DACA is currently law, it is an executive action. If President Trump wants to repeal it, he can do so without congressional approval.

Eric joins other protesters in front of Trump Tower in New York City back in October, ahead of the election. In his work with immigration reform, Eric has become a community organizer for Connecticut Students 4 a Dream (C4D) and United We Dream. Both groups seek to improve the lives of undocumented immigrants. Eric leads a group affectionately named the “Honey Badgers Squad” because of their unwillingness to back down and power through adversity, similar to the popular YouTube meme.

Eric cheers along with students during the Rally for the People on the UConn campus on Nov. 9, 2016. At the end of the day, everyone at these UConn rallies is a student. While fighting for immigration reform they are also working to get through their exams and their classes. According to organizers, support from the student body lightens the stress and helps remind students that they are not alone in their fight.

Eric leads a chant during the protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City in October. Protests like these give a voice to those who might not normally speak up. These kind of protests have become especially relevant as the Trump Administration prepares to change immigration policy.

C4D students celebrate following the successful passage of an Undergraduate Student Government (USG) bill recommending that UConn becomes a sanctuary city on Nov. 16, 2016. Student support will help bring about changes in the University which will allow students to remain at UConn and continue to receive an education without fear of deportation.

Eric relaxes on a bench in Rome Commons following the successful University Senate meeting earlier this week in which the body decided to support USG’s bill. In recent months, many groups have shown support for the idea to make UConn a sanctuary city and have voted accordingly. Supporters of immigration reform, however, believe that there is a larger battle remains on the horizon.