Undocumented immigrants in SoCal have criticized President Barack Obama’s immigration overhaul for not going far enough.
Parents of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients are not protected under the new executive order, which removed the threat of deportation for up to five million people.
Undocumented Westlake District couple Luis Barajas and Maria Galvin were not impressed by the plan, as they still face the prospect of being thrown out of the country.
"We are 11 million, not just a few. We still at risk to be deported. I was waiting for something else," Galvin said, "I deserve to be, to have my legal status. My daughters needs to have her family together."
Also disappointed was Maria's daughter Saira, a recipient of President Obama’s previous DACA executive action which protects childhood arrivals. She is unhappy that while she islegally allowed to be in this country, her parents are not.
"We're not citizens, we're DACA recipients, and he didn't mention anything about them," Saira said.
Despite the criticism, local immigration attorney Nelson Castillo says the president took as much action as he could.
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"We all have to understand that the president has limits with his executive authority. He is not congress, he cannot (go outside) the bounds of the law," Castillo said.
Despite the disappointment, the Barajas and Galvin have vowed to continue to fight for legal status, and are heading to Las Vegas to hear President Obama speak on the matter Friday.
