DACA supporters visit Congressman Nunes' office on 5th anniversary of program

VISALIA, Calif. (KFSN) -- Half a dozen people chanted outside, catching the attention of passerby, while the others stepped inside Congressman Devin Nunes' Visalia office. They were there to talk to his staff about DACA or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

The program allows those who came to the United States as a child and meet certain criteria to be protected from deportation and gain work authorization. Tuesday was DACA's 5th anniversary, but there's fear here and around the country that under the Trump Administration, it could be taken away.

That's something Ceilina Arellano can't even imagine, because she says DACA has helped every single aspect of her life.

"It's given me a social security number, to allow me to work, it's given me health insurance and that has been really beneficial to me," Arellano said.

Arellano shared her story in Nunes' office, and once more outside. She was born in Mexico, and moved with her parents to the U.S. when she was five. Now she's 20 and attends Porterville College, with plans to transfer to UC Merced. She wants people to know that DACA recipients like her and her sister have goals, and are working hard to achieve them.

"We're simply here to work, to receive an education, and to be successful people in our careers," Arellano said.

"Congressman Nunes does not want to see families broken up," said Nunes Communications Director Jack Langer. "At the same time, he's deeply alarmed by the security threats posed by uncontrolled illegal immigration, and he believes that securing the border is a top-priority national security concern."

The same group also stopped at Congressman Kevin McCarthy's office in Bakersfield Tuesday afternoon. There were also rallies to defend DACA around the state.