as the Trump Administration prepares to launch policies like Mass deportations when it takes over in January organizations in New Jersey are helping DACA recipients prepare for what comes next DACA stands for deferred action for childhood arrivals and was put in place to protect children who were brought to America with their undocumented parents while they were young but what the future holds for this group is unclear senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan visited an event today aimed at offering doc of recipients support I'm not sure just I I really am not sure what can have like a worried Isela Coyotecatl sought help at this free clinic in Passaic where experts walk DACA participants through the renewal process Jersey's home to more than 14,000 undocumented immigrants enrolled in DACA the deferred action for childhood arrivals program they're preparing for the worst after threats of mass deportation by the incoming Trump Administration well it's very frustrating it's frustrating um and of course it's it takes a toll on many people who are part of the DACA community um because a lot of these young people like myself depend on this program Mexican shops dot the local neighborhood census figures show Almost three-quarters of Passaic residents are Hispanic more than 40% are foreign born isela's parents brought her here from Mexico when she was just 2 years old she graduated from Rutgers got a good job and dreams that DACA will eventually offer a path to citizenship we are here to stay and to um be part of the um American uh dream we um we have so many things that we want to do um that we want to complete as as dreamers um and it is very very um emotional that we are now being in this situation of limbo whether we have DACA today and then tomorrow we don't they've already lived a lot of their most of their lives here they've developed Roots here they've uh had kids here bought houses um made incredible businesses really contributed to the society locally State national um they are doing everything they can to continue that life that they've already lived for so long Diego Gonzalez Cordero is an attorney with make the Road New Jersey an advocacy group that's running these clinics they're urging DACA participants who must renew their status and working papers every couple of years to remain calm but file promptly even as the political rhetoric heats up it seems to be the a ploy to keep people um scared keep people nervous um unaware of what can happen constantly fearing for um the idea that their kids can come home to an empty home um that their uh family members could be um deported New Jersey is a sanctuary state for immigrants the Attorney General's office has directed law enforcement not to participate in federal immigration raids and it's in federal court fighting to defend doca President Obama created DACA in 2012 as a temporary program hoping Congress would pass a pathway to citizenship that hasn't happened the first Trump Administration tried and failed to end DACA but the president alect sounded more conciliatory about dreamers during a recent interview on Meet the Press in many cases they become successful they have great jobs in some cases they have small businesses some cases they might have large businesses and we're gonna have to do something with them and you want them to be able to stay that's what you're saying I do president Trump in his first term attempted to dismantle DACA um to think that he would then protect these uh DACA recipients is difficult to believe whatever happens make the roads vow to support Jersey undocumented immigrants like Isela we have no other home we know no other place this is really our our only home her DACA is not up for Renewal until April but she's filing now in Passaic I'm Brenda Flanagan NJ Spotlight news [Music]