SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Ali-Ruza Torabi is studying for his board exams. He wants to become a family medicine doctor in San Diego. Although his career path is clear, his path to citizenship is not.
“Where do you see yourself in five years?”
“I just want to make sure I don’t get deported,” Torabi said.
President Donald Trump has called for mass deportations but hasn't clarified his plans for undocumented children who grew up in the U.S. under DACA or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. The Obama-era policy allowed Torabi and more than 500 thousand others to work here legally and temporarily avoid deportation.
“DACA has been important it has been valuable, but it has played out and done its role. We’ve been advocating for the last decade for something more permanent.”
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The previous Trump administration tried to rescind DACA in 2020 but the case failed in the Supreme Court. More recently, President Trump has vowed to find a different plan for DACA recipients.
“Do you feel there is going to be a beneficial plan for you moving forward?”
“I don’t have hope in any politician currently," Torabi said. "I have hope in my community. I have hope that we will be able to collectively fight and advocate for our rights.”
Torabi says his family hired a corrupt lawyer who sabotaged their case for a green card and once he became an adult there were very few routes to citizenship other than marriage. Torabi started a nonprofit to lobby for immigration reform in Washington D.C. And recently launched a YouTube page to share the struggles of other undocumented immigrants.
“I wasn’t born in this country, I wasn't born in this city but it raised me. It’s not a piece of paper that gives you value as a human being. It’s not an immigration status it’s the dignity of your character.”
Despite the odds, Torabi will plan for his future. Hoping to better the community he grew up in, or be deported while trying.
