Pareen Mhatre is one of 200,000 young people who grow up in the U.S. but "age out" of their legal status. With no clear path to permanent residency, they're hoping Congress will step in.

Transcript

LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:

They call themselves documented DREAMers, kids who spent their entire lives in the United States - making friends, going to school - but at the age of 21 face deportation because they age out of their parents' legal immigration statuses. It's the reality for over 200,000 kids, many of whom are the children of foreign tech workers from countries like India on temporary work visas like H-1Bs.

Pareen Mhatre is one of them. And she joins us now. Welcome to the program.

PAREEN MHATRE: Thank you.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: First, can you tell me your story? I mean, how did you come to the United States? What visa were you on?

MHATRE: So my parents and I moved when I was just 4 months old. After my parents completed their education here at the University of Iowa, they started to work for the university on work visas. And that's when my status changed to an H-4 dependent status. And growing up, you know, I felt like any other American kid. I played sports. I learned how to read, write, ride my bike in this country.

And I'm currently on a student visa right now.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: When did you realize that this was going to be a problem?

MHATRE: I didn't realize that I was at a disadvantage until I started applying for colleges. I wasn't eligible for the majority of scholarships or federal aid. That's when I realized, OK, well, you know, this is the first of many barriers that I will have to encounter.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: So you're on a student visa now. What happens after your student visa expires?

MHATRE: So after I complete my education, I would have to find an employer that will be willing to sponsor a green card for me. And after I apply for a job and get that job, I would have to apply for a work visa.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Can I ask you a little bit about the emotional toll of this on you and what it's like to sort of be in a place that you consider home and have it not - you know, and have your status be under review?

MHATRE: So I actually have been diagnosed with clinical depression, generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder. And one of the root causes of my issues is my uncertainty in this country. It has been really hard to live in a country that you consider your home but also at the same time have less rights than your peers. I wasn't able to - excuse me - sorry. For my parents and also myself - but for my parents, it's really upsetting because they came to this country to provide a better future for me, thinking that when their daughter is old enough to get these opportunities, she will be able to get them and take advantage of them.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: The American Dream and Promise Act of 2021 was introduced this year to help protect immigrants who came to the U.S. as children and also those who came on temporary visas. But does it do enough for people like you?

MHATRE: Fortunately, documented DREAMers have been included in the House version. Were hoping that the Senate will now include documented DREAMers along with undocumented DREAMers in the budget reconciliation bill. It doesn't make sense for us to be excluded from the pathway of citizenship.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: You're about to graduate from the University of Iowa. And you're majoring in biomedical engineering. What do you think is going to happen?

MHATRE: I mean, my hope is to help design medical devices. And I want to do that with my degree. The University of Iowa Hospital is recognized as one of the best hospitals in the country. Before the pandemic, I was actually a volunteer there. And it made me realize that this technology and the access to equitable health care isn't widely available in rural regions.

I want to be able to help these populations get the medical care that they deserve. However, instead of making these communities stronger, we are now forced to fight for our existence in this country.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: That's Pareen Mhatre from Iowa City. Thank you very much.

MHATRE: Thank you.

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Tags: Immigration