Having been born in Tijuana, Mexico and brought over to the U.S when she was just two months old, America has always been her home, she doesn’t know a life outside of the United States. . . She is a Dreamer.

Growing up in America, Daniela Perez felt uncomfortable when she would have to tell people that she was undocumented. She tried to work hard because she knew she wasn’t going to get the same benefits as legal Americans.

Her mother, Veronica Perez decided crossing over from Mexico would be the best decision for Daniela’s future.

“My mom brought me over to the U.S to give me a better future, because in Mexico they don’t offer all the programs and all the benefits that they do here in the United States,” Perez said.

Daniela was raised by her single mother for eight years until Veronica got married to Daniela’s, now, step-dad. Daniela would get sad at times when she saw other kids with their two parents, but most of the time she was glad she had such a supporting mom.

“We didn’t spend as much time as I wish we could have, because she [Perez’s mother] was always working but the little time we had together she tried to make it as fun as possible,” said Perez

Perez was a junior in high school when she found out that she would be a mother herself. Now, Perez’s daughter, Isabella is nine-months-old.

“Knowing that I have a daughter helps motivate me, it’s scary to think that if I get deported back to Mexico my daughter would have to stay here [in America],” Perez said.

Perez feels like she is treated like she has done something wrong, because she has been denied from many programs and activities for not being documented.

“I once went to apply for a program and I was accepted. They said that I had all the requirements, except they were asking for a social security number. When I told them that I didn’t have one they called me the next day and said I couldn’t be in the program because I didn’t have [a social security number],” said Perez.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), is a program that protects young immigrants who came to the United States when they were children from being deported. DACA gives young undocumented immigrants protection from deportation, and work permits.

Daniela Perez, 17, senior at Omaha North felt a tremendous weight lifted off her shoulders when she received her admission papers for DACA. Knowing she could now do simple things like, get a driver’s license, apply for scholarships, or even just get a job was a big step in the right direction. Little did Perez know all this would soon be taken away

“We’ve worked so hard throughout the years to earn DACA just so somebody could take it away so easily,” said Daniela.

Without the support from DACA, Perez and thousands more have until 2018 to renew their membership, when that time comes undocumented people will no longer be helped.