Aside from her personal unease, Maria feared more for her parents. Over the years, their original visas expired, as did their driver’s licenses, which made daily commutes to work risky. In her college application essays, Maria wrote, “Most Americans or people who are legal don’t have the fear of being stripped away from their parents at any moment at any given time.” She worried that if her dad got stopped, “I wouldn’t know because I don’t think they’d call us. Every day, I’m just hoping and praying that he gets home.” On his first day in office, President Joe Biden signed a memorandum reinstating DACA, but permanent legal status and a path to citizenship would require congressional approval.