Coachella Unincorporated, News Report, Brenda Rincón, Posted: Aug 20, 2012

COACHELLA, Calif. – Cris was only 12 years old when she left Atlixco, Puebla, with her brother and sister to join their parents in the United States.

Cris – along with her dreams of one day becoming an artist – nervously climbed over the border fence near Mexicali. Once the scared children made it to the other side, they met up with the person charged with driving them to Coachella.

Now 20 years old, the College of the Desert art student’s childhood dreams finally seem within reach because of the new Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program established by the Obama administration.

Under this program, eligible youth can file applications to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to avoid deportation and obtain the right to work. USCIS began accepting applications, available on its website, on August 15. The application fee is $465.

“This opens the doors for me and many other students because we finally know that when we finish our studies, we will be able to work,” said Cris, who dreams of working as a Pixar animator or a fashion designer. “We work so hard to find the money for school, and now we know we can pursue our life’s dreams when we graduate.”

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