Pasadena Seminary Student is a Plaintiff in DACA Case Being Argued Before U.S. Supreme Court Today

Fuller Theological Seminary graduate student Norma Ramirez, at center, surrounded by supporters on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. on Monday, October 10, 2019. Photo courtesy Fuller Seminary.

When the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments this morning against termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) program, a Pasadena student will be represented in Washington, D.C. as a plaintiff.

29-year-old Fuller Theological Seminary graduate student Norma Ramirez is one of 11 plaintiffs suing the Trump administration for ending DACA.

If the Court agrees with the Trump administration’s decision, hundreds of thousands of young undocumented immigrants will lose protections against deportation and the right to work in the U.S.

Fuller Ph.D. candidate in clinical psychology Ramirez told Pasadena Now her involvement in the case is intensely personal. To her, doing what is best in her life means continuing to serve her fellow immigrants by providing therapy services and by representing her community in the DACA battle.

“I encourage communities of faith to stand by and be with immigrants,” Ramirez told Pasadena Now from Washington, D.C. Monday.

Fuller Seminary supports Ramirez and opposes the Trump Administration decision.

In a statement Monday, Fuller President Mark Labberton said, “Fuller has had numerous students and staff who are part of the DACA program. Fuller’s support of a permanent legislative solution for Dreamers is due to the wonderful members of our community who were able to study here because of the DACA program as well as what the institution believes is the Christian responsibility in protecting the most vulnerable in our society.”

Ramirez, taking an aerial view of the issue, added Monday, “DACA is only one aspect of the larger unresolved immigration issue that affects our communities. DACA recipients are not the only immigrants affected by harsh immigration policies; our whole families are impacted.”

“Among DACA recipients, experiences are very different. We come from every race and background, and we live full, rich, and diverse lives. Immigration policies must make space for the fullness and nuances of all of our communities. Immigration policies also need to bring awareness and proper mental health resources for the undocumented and underserved community,” Ramirez added.

The Trump Administration announced on September 5, 2017, that it was ending the DACA program, also known as the “Dreamers Act.” A number of lawsuits have since been filed against the administration, each claiming that the Administration terminated DACA unlawfully.

Three nationwide injunctions have been subsequently issued by U.S. district courts in California, New York, and the District of Columbia, which have allowed people who have previously had DACA to renew their deferred action.

On June 28, 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review these legal challenges with hearings scheduled for Tuesday, November 12. A decision is expected no later than June 2020.