Kittitian in NY relieved by Obama's immigration decision

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Published on Saturday, 16 June 2012 19:24

Written by NY Times

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New York, USA (NY Times): Ever since Brant Douglas left St. Kitts and came to New York with his grandmother as a 4-year-old, he has considered himself an American. But unlike peers who were born here or who obtained green cards or citizenship, the undocumented immigrant couldn’t apply for a learner’s permit, get a state identification card, open a bank account or go to Cancun for spring break.

When he was 16, he couldn’t apply for a Summer Youth position. He worked low-wage odd jobs to work his way through Medgar Evers College and get a master’s degree from Baruch. Although he graduated with honors, his future was uncertain. It was difficult to get a job and the threat of deportation to a country he barely remembers hung over him. But, he says, all that may have changed with President Obama’s embrace of a new policy that mimics the federal DREAM Act. “Now, I’ll be able to earn a living that matches the education I’ve been able to achieve,” Douglas, 24, of East Flatbush, Brooklyn, said. “I’ve been monitoring the DREAM Act, but I figured nothing would happen until 2014. To wake up today and hear the news today was amazing.”

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