Undermining Our Future: Deportations, DACA, and Lost Potential, by Angela Valenzuela, Ph.D.

Undermining Our Future: Deportations, DACA, and Lost Potential

by

Angela Valenzuela, Ph.D.

May 2, 2026

In a February 26, 2026 piece authored by Bazail-Eimil in Politico, we learn that
Kristi Noem and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) deported 86 DACA students despite longstanding protections, exposing a stark and troubling reality about the fragility of that promise. Sadly, by now, this number is certainly higher.

There is no other way to describe it: this is a betrayal. Young people brought to this country as children—many of whom have done everything asked of them—are now being detained and deported by the very system that once told them they could study, work, and build a future here.

These are not abstract policy decisions. They are lives disrupted. 

DACA recipients undergo repeated background checks, pursue education, and contribute to their communities. Yet they are now being swept up under shifting enforcement priorities, sometimes for minor or unproven infractions. I am aware that due to their assimilation in U.S. schools, many of them are not fully literate in the Spanish language—even if they can speak it—and, as a result, face uncertain futures in their parents' home countries. 

When our government callously discards a generation it helped raise and educate, it sends an unmistakable message: no amount of effort, achievement, or compliance is enough to guarantee belonging, and even those who play by the rules can be cast aside without warning.

Moreover, this is where the idea of “wasted talent"—a topic covered in the documentary I just posted—becomes painfully real. 

Many DACA recipients are students, professionals, and essential workers—individuals who have already invested in this country and are poised to give even more. Deporting them does not just harm them and their families personally, it strips the nation of skills, ambition, and potential that cannot easily be replaced. At a time when the U.S. depends on a strong, educated workforce, these actions undermine our own capacity to compete and thrive.

How does shooting ourselves in the foot like this make any sense?

They are exactly the kind of young people the U.S. claims to need—bilingual, educated, and ready to contribute in high-demand fields. Deporting them is not just a moral failure; it is a strategic one. It drains the country of human capital we have already helped develop, weakening our workforce at a time when global competition for talent is intensifying.

The consequences reach far beyond immigration policy. We are actively undermining our own future. A country that turns away its own investment in human potential is not just being short-sighted and dishonest about its expressed concerns regarding "return in investment" (ROI)—it is choosing decline. The loss is not abstract. It will be felt in classrooms, industries, and communities for years to come.

Policies that disproportionately target Latino communities and dismantle pathways like DACA echo a broader pattern that many see as rooted in white nationalist thinking about who deserves to be American. A country that embraces that logic is choosing division over shared prosperity, and risking a future diminished by its own decisions.

Reference

Bazail-Eimil, E. (2026, February 26). DHS admits it deported more than 80 DACA recipients, Politico. https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/26/dhs-daca-immigration-noem-dreamers-00801921


DHS admits it deported more than 80 DACA recipients
“Dreamers” who came to the U.S. as children are protected under U.S. law, so deportations of them are unusual.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in her letter to senators that Deferred Action for
Childhood Arrivals “comes with no right or entitlement to remain in the United States indefinitely.”
| Caitlin O'Hara/AP

By Eric Bazail-Eimil / 02/26/2026 04:05 PM EST

Wasted Talent in Plain Sight: Universities, Latinos & Trump / Talento Desperdiciado: Universidades, Latinos y Trump / Noticias Telemundo

Friends: 

I encourage you to view this excellent Spanish-language documentary titled "Talento Desperdiciado: Universidades, Latinos y Trump," by Noticias Telemundo.

It looks at how colleges and universities are often seen as pathways to opportunity, yet that promise remains uneven for many Latina/o/x students.

Despite being one of the fastest-growing demographics in higher education, Latina/o/x students face persistent barriers such as financial hardship, limited institutional support, and immigration-related challenges. These obstacles prevent many from completing their degrees, resulting in a loss of potential that affects not only individuals but the nation as a whole.

The political climate during the Trump administration intensified these difficulties, particularly for students from undocumented or mixed-status families. Uncertainty surrounding immigration policies and programs like DACA created fear and instability, forcing students to balance their academic goals with concerns about their future in the country. This environment made it harder for many to stay focused, enrolled, and on track to graduate.

A big focus is on funding streams to Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) that benefit not just Latina/o/x students, but the universities themselves so that they can truly serve this population. Regardless, the Trump administration reduced HSI funding, resulting in a mix of continued baseline funding alongside significant cuts to key grant programs, together with shifts toward “race-neutral” policies that reduce targeted support, and ongoing uncertainty in how funds were distributed. Taken together, this meant that while some funding technically remained, the overall effect was a weakening and destabilization of dedicated support for HSIs, that obviously serve large Latino populations.

Changes in funding and policy directly affect the availability of scholarships, grants, and support services that many students rely on. When these resources are reduced, educational gaps widen, making it even more difficult for underrepresented students to succeed.

In places like Texas, Florida, California, Arizona, New York, and Illinois, where Latina/o/x students represent a significant share of the college population, the stakes are especially high. Their success is closely tied to the state’s economic and social future. If these students are not supported, the consequences will extend far beyond individual campuses—impacting workforce readiness, economic growth, and civic life. 

The documentary makes clear that this is not just an issue of access, but of national interest: investing in Latino students is essential, and failing to do so is a deliberate choice to leave talent, innovation, and opportunity unrealized.

-Angela Valenzuela, Ph.D.