Published August 29, 2024.

Vanessa Arredondo writes about the “brain waste,” or the skill-underutilization of immigrants in the U.S. that undocumented immigrants currently and are bound to experience in larger numbers with DACA’s rescission and impending decision in the Supreme Court. This detailed report features stories from immigrant rights organizers like Dulce Matuz and community efforts from organizations like Instituto del Progreso Latino, TheDream.US, and Immigrants Rising. With DACA in limbo and a permanent resolve yet to be determined, more and more immigrants are pushed into unemployment or low-skilled jobs, unable to use their education or skills in their desired fields.

Iliana Perez, Immigrants Rising’s Executive Director shares her discovery of entrepreneurship while she was undocumented, even before DACA was initially implemented. “Perez said undocumented youth are experiencing similar challenges to what she faced 10 years ago. ‘We’re going back. I mean, I went through this.’”

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