Undocumented student to graduate from UW-Whitewater
By Chris Bennett
Correspondent
In spirit, Brenda Rodriguez is as much a Wisconsinite as anyone. The 2012 Whitewater High School graduate claims Walworth County as her home since arriving from Mexico with her mother when she was 6 months old.
The letter of the law is more complicated. Even after living in Wisconsin for more than 20 years, Rodriguez is not a citizen of the United States.
In spite of those complications, Rodriguez will graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater this semester with a degree in elementary education and certifications in bilingual education and English as a Second Language.
As part of her graduation, Rodriguez shared with friends, professors and colleagues a truth about herself that shaped her college experience as much as studying or time in class.
Rodriguez revealed her Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status in a ceremony Nov. 11 at UW-Whitewater’s Winther Center. The Obama administration started the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in 2012 and substantially revised the program in 2014.
“I went through all of my classes without my professors knowing who I was or where I came from,” Rodriguez said. “A lot of my hard work comes from that part of me.”
The admittedly shy Rodriguez said she felt equal parts relief and insecurity. The relief came from knowing she shared her story.
“I’m going to graduate, but really, I’m still not secure in this country,” Rodriguez said. “I can still get deported if this opportunity gets taken away from me. I’m still going to go through more obstacles.”
Rodriguez arrived in Wisconsin with her mother in September 1993. The family lived in Walworth County and settled in Whitewater within a few years.
She attended elementary school, middle school and high school in Whitewater. However, her Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status precluded her from applying for financial aid for college. And after living in Wisconsin all her life, she did not qualify for in-state tuition. Wisconsin authorized in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants in 2009 but later repealed the initiative.
In-state undergraduate tuition at UW-Whitewater is $3,800 per semester for a course load between 12 and 18 credits, according to the university’s website. Out-of-state tuition for the same course load is $7,596 per semester.
Rodriguez worked at Lavelle Industries in Whitewater and received help offsetting the cost of her tuition from UW-Whitewater’s DREAM (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) Scholars and Colleagues. The group works to raise awareness and funds for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals students like Rodriguez and played a role in her ceremony.
Miguel Aranda is a university services program associate for UW-Whitewater’s honors and undergraduate research programs. Aranda also is DREAM Scholars and Colleagues co-advisor.
“We’re there for all of these kinds of students,” Aranda said. “They’re not alone. That way, they have the strength to keep going.”
DREAM Scholars and Colleagues has raised more than $50,000 since 2012, Aranda said. Rodriguez’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status is not a guarantee of citizenship, Aranda said. It is also not a guarantee of lawful status.
“When you apply, it says it’s not a path to citizenship,” Aranda said. “It’s a promise that you will not get deported.”
Individuals who demonstrate that they meet certain guidelines may request consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals for a period of two years, subject to renewal, and might be eligible for employment authorization, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
“There’s a lot of qualifications you need in order to be under this permit,” Rodriguez said. “You cannot have any issues with the law. Even things as simple as a driving ticket – that can delay the process.”
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals applicants must be younger than 31 years old as of June 15, 2012, and must have arrived in the United States before their 16th birthday.
Applicants must have continuously lived in the United States from June 15, 2007, to the present, and must be physically present in the country as of June 15, 2012, and at the time of their Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals request.
Applicants needed to enter without prior inspection or their lawful immigration status must have expired before June 15, 2012.
The individuals applying for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status must have graduated or obtained a certificate of completion from high school, obtained a general education development certificate, or be an honorably discharged veteran of the Coast Guard or United States armed forces.
Applicants must also have no felony convictions, significant misdemeanors, three or more other misdemeanors or otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Rodriguez met all the criteria and maintained Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status during her studies. She is now student teaching in Madison and will soon be hunting for a job.
Her process to become an American citizen is far less certain than her professional future and is filled with variables. Rodriguez could be sponsored, or she could marry a citizen or pursue citizenship through another path. All are time-consuming and potentially costly.
“I would like to say I’m on the path to citizenship, to becoming an American citizen” Rodriguez said. “But I’m not sure. That path is a long ways head and blurry.”
