DENVER — A rally in support of the Deferred Action for the Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was held at Metro State University Tuesday as the U.S. Supreme Court begins oral arguments on whether President Donald Trump's decision to cut the program went too far.
Estefani Pena-Figueroa traveled to the United States from Guatemala with her family when she was 7 years old.
She said the long road left her with scars she still wears today.
"I fell on top of a bush full of thorns," Pena-Figueroa said about her journey to the United States. "They were so afraid that if they pulled them out, I was going to scream and give out our hiding spot. I stayed with the thorns inside for so many hours. I crossed the Rio Grande with them."
After crossing, Pena-Figueroa said she traveled to Colorado, and it has been the place she's called home since.
Since President Obama introduced DACA in 2012, life has been a roller coaster for her.
"I constantly remained in fear of not being able to go to college, not being able to apply for scholarships and also being deported or getting home and not finding my family there," she said.
Now, a US Supreme Court decision could bring back all of those fears.
State Rep. Dave Williams (R-Colorado Springs) said DACA from the start was unfair.
"The rules are the rules," Williams said. "It's fundamentally unfair to have this policy continue on when there are many, many people who come to this country legally."
The court is expected to come down with a ruling by the spring of 2020.
