Axel Herrera, a DACA recipient in North Carolina, faces increasing challenges as local police checkpoints instill fear in his community, prompting him to take action for those affected by immigration policies.
Since the election of President Trump, Axel Herrera has witnessed a troubling rise in local police traffic checkpoints throughout his North Carolina community. Although Axel, a recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), has legal protection from deportation, many of his friends and family members have been detained or deported following random traffic stops. This reality has left numerous undocumented individuals in his community living in constant fear. “It’s creating a hostile environment,” Axel states. “It’s pretty clear what the government is trying to do.”
At 27 years old, Axel has called North Carolina home since he was seven, when his family fled Honduras in search of a better life. Receiving DACA status felt like a significant achievement for Axel and his family, allowing him to pursue opportunities that once seemed out of reach. He earned a scholarship to Duke University, becoming the first in his family to attend college, and graduated with multiple accolades, including a prestigious Congressional internship.
Following his graduation, Axel took on the role of civic engagement director for Mi Familia en Acción, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Hispanic communities. Over the years, he has focused on registering citizens to vote, developing youth programs, and mentoring immigrants as they navigate educational and professional pathways. “All I ever wanted was to belong, and to give something back,” he reflects.
However, the current political climate has posed significant challenges for Axel and others like him. Ongoing legal battles surrounding DACA threaten to undermine his protection from deportation. Axel must renew his DACA status and employment authorization every two years. Although he managed to process his paperwork just before Trump took office, he remains uncertain about the future of his status when it expires in 2026. He is aware that some Dreamers are struggling to have their applications processed, and the Trump administration has already deported at least one DACA recipient under the pretense of an outstanding deportation order. “Right now, everything is up in the air,” Axel admits. “I’m very concerned about the future.”
One potential outcome is that courts may uphold DACA but revoke the work authorization for its recipients. Given this uncertainty, Axel has decided to step away from his hard-earned job and return to school. This fall, he will leave North Carolina for Yale University, where he has received a scholarship to study business and public policy. “It’s a great opportunity, but also a hedge against losing my status,” he explains. “If I lose my work authorization, then being a student might buy me some time and let me find a different path forward.”
Despite his current protections, Axel feels conflicted about leaving his community behind. Many of his friends and family are constantly communicating via WhatsApp, assessing police conditions whenever they step outside. He knows several young Venezuelans whose humanitarian parole was recently revoked, rendering them unable to work or study. Over the past six months, he has witnessed families torn apart by raids and deportations, or who are simply too afraid of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to pursue education. “I speak all the time with young people whose whole future is on the chopping block,” Axel shares.
Yet, even with his protections, Axel acknowledges a pervasive anxiety. “There’s this looming sense that things could get worse fast,” he says. Under the Trump administration, anti-immigrant sentiment and policies have become more entrenched. He is particularly concerned about the long-term implications of a new state law that mandates sheriffs to cooperate with ICE. Axel fears for his family’s future, stating, “After 20 years, we’re barely scratching the surface of dealing with our status issues. It never ends—and the Trump administration is rolling back so much of the progress we’ve made.”
Source: Original article