Childhood immigrant to Utah, now with a master's degree, provides legal help to others

Intermountain Catholic

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Various Catholic ministries in the Diocese of Salt Lake City have offered workshops about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program since it was implemented in 2012.

SALT LAKE CITY — Angelica was raised in Puebla, Mexico, but when she was 10 years old her parents decided to make the difficult journey to the United States for a better life for their family. They knew if they stayed in Puebla, their children would not have the life and opportunities they deserved.

Once in the U.S. they worked hard to provide for their family and contribute to their new community. Angelica excelled in her education, but feared what her future would be without legal documents. Her prayers were answered in 2012 when then-President Barack Obama created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. DACA created a pathway for Angelica to seize the future her parents had worked so hard for, and she took advantage of every opportunity.

Angelica was able to earn two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Utah, one in political science and the other in international studies, but she didn’t stop there. She then moved to Germany, where she studied European and human rights law and earned a master’s level degree known as an LLM. Angelica has used her knowledge of the legal system to help others achieve their goals of legal immigration, and continues to use her knowledge and skills to support our community.

(Editor’s note: As part of Pope Francis’ Migration Campaign, this is one in a series of profiles of refugees and migrants who are helped through Catholic Community Services of Utah.)

Courtesy of Catholic Community Services of Utah