Undocumented Immigrant Now Feels 'More American'

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

For the young man we will meet next, 2015 promises to be very different than the year just ended. Junior Adriano is 18. He's a graduate of Anthony High School outside of El Paso, Texas. We met him last year when we visited that school for Borderland, our journey along the U.S.-Mexico border. In a radio and video story, Junior spoke of being in the U.S. illegally, brought across the border by his parents. They are now back in Mexico while Junior lives in Texas with his sister.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED BROADCAST)

JUNIOR ADRIANO: When I'm at school, I feel somewhat American 'cause, like, all my friends and all that, we all speak English and all that. But, like, when I start thinking about it, like, that I have nothing to feel American about really because I can't do nothing at all. Let's say I do something bad and the cops get me, like, I'm going to get screwed over, and I'm going to get sent back probably.

INSKEEP: That was Junior last March. Now, here's what's changing. Since we met, he applied for temporary legal status in the United States. He did it under DACA - D-A-C-A - Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a program started under President Obama. This week, Junior told us he's about to get an ID card.

ADRIANO: They told me I was approved 'cause, like, they called me to go take my fingerprints. And then after that, they told me that I should receive them by January.

INSKEEP: Which means Junior can legally work in the United States and also show ID if asked by agents at the Border Patrol. We spoke with Junior, along with his old high school principal, Oscar Troncoso. It was principal Troncoso who allowed a lawyer to come to the school and talk with students.

OSCAR TRONCOSO: Junior was there with his sister. And that's what kind of kicked it off. I started learning a little bit more about the process since I had some time. And I really - more than anything I saw a willingness in Junior to want to help himself. And he was asking a lot of questions, and so I could see that that willingness there to get something done. So it was just Junior gathering documents and me giving him rides and sometimes asking questions over there. And - but to Junior's credit, he was very persistent. He not only gathered all of the documents but he was able to raise the money himself.

INSKEEP: How much money are we talking about here, Junior?

ADRIANO: Four-hundred-and-sixty-nine in total.

INSKEEP: Is that a lot of money for you?

ADRIANO: Yeah (Laughter). It was pretty hard to come up with. I was just doing, like, yard work and, like, work like that, like construction.

INSKEEP: I remember when we spoke with your group of students - you were one of five we sat with at your high school - that a couple of you said you didn't particularly feel American. Living here, but not here with legal status or fully legal status and don't feel American. Of course, you're still not a citizen.

ADRIANO: Yes, of course I'm not.

INSKEEP: Do you feel American now?

ADRIANO: Now I really do, because now I'm able to be here, like, with no problems - like being scared of the Border Patrol now. Like, now I'm able to show that permit that I'm able to be here, go around the United States without no problems. So, like, now I do feel more American.

INSKEEP: Since we met in March, President Obama has taken another major step on immigration. In the face of much criticism, he took an executive action that is expected to allow millions of people to claim legal status. That must include some grown-ups, some adults -parents of children in your school, Oscar Troncoso. How widely felt has that been in your community?

TRONCOSO: Well, it's something honestly that they don't like to discuss too openly, but the few people that I have talked to, they seem to have mixed feelings. On one hand, they feel positive about it. But on the other hand, it kind of feels like it's something temporary. And so, I get the sense that some of them don't quite trust it because it's nothing that's really permanent.

INSKEEP: Do you feel you have a sense, having spent years as a principal and having dealt with hundreds of kids - some of whom are here legally and some of whom are not - how their lives are different based on what side of the legal line that they're on as they graduate from your school and go on into the world?

TRONCOSO: It's at times for me as a principal, because I see it every year, Steve, when we have a couple of kids - for whatever reason, they're not documented - they get to the point where they finish high school and then it seems to me like they hit a wall. There isn't a whole lot of opportunity for them. They're worried about their future because basically they can only get odd jobs.

INSKEEP: Junior, do you have a sense of what exactly you want to do, once you have your card in hand?

ADRIANO: Yeah, I want to go to school. I want to go to criminal justice, but then, I also want to work full-time job. So like, right now I'm kind of stuck in between. Like, I don't know if I should go to school and have a part-time job or, like, just get a full-time job.

INSKEEP: Why criminal justice?

ADRIANO: I want to do FBI.

INSKEEP: You want to be an FBI agent?

ADRIANO: Yes, sir.

INSKEEP: Now, what gave you that idea?

ADRIANO: I don't know. Like, I've always just been, like, interesting of being like an agent. I always wanted to be like an undercover.

INSKEEP: You want to be an undercover agent?

ADRIANO: Yes, sir.

INSKEEP: I suppose you've had a little experience with that, having had to spend some time without documents here in the United States.

ADRIANO: Yeah.

INSKEEP: Well, gentlemen, thanks very much to both of you and Happy New Year.

ADRIANO: Happy New Year to you, too.

TRONCOSO: Happy New Year, Steve.

INSKEEP: That's Junior Adriano and his former principal, Oscar Troncoso, in Texas. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.