TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Dreamers and community leaders gathered in downtown Tucson to speak about immigration enforcement and shine a light on what DACA recipients are facing in deportation proceedings.
Tuesday morning's Rally de la Rosas gave Dreamers a chance to share their own experiences navigating the immigration system.
Roberto Navarro Bocanegra, a 24-year-old University of Arizona student and Dreamer, was among those who spoke.
"Not knowing what the future holds is one of the hardest things I can think of right now," Navarro Bocanegra said.
He says he was brought to the United States when he was just 18 months old and has spent nearly his entire life here. He is studying mechanical engineering at the University of Arizona and is married to a U.S. citizen.
"My case is still pending and it's hard for my wife," Navarro Bocanegra said.
After resubmitting paperwork last year to adjust his immigration status, he says he was placed in deportation proceedings.
"I filed a I-130 correctly back in 2025 and waited the 18 months they said it was going to be. It was later denied due to a simple signature error that could have been easily fixed, but they said no, you have to resubmit it and start all over again," Navarro Bocanegra said.
"What happened in his case was a betrayal," said Mo Goldman, Navarro Bocanegra's immigration attorney. "He tried to do it the right way and our government turned around and said, no, we're not going to let you do that. We're going to try to deport you."
Goldman says the concern he wanted people to hear about Tuesday centered on how a legal filing led to deportation proceedings against his client.
"He filed a legal I-130 petition through a marriage spousal petition. That I-130 petition, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security turned around and put him in deportation proceedings because of that," said Goldman. "This is a young man who's been in this country since he was 18 months old. He did not choose to come here, and he is achieved. He went to Pima. He’s at the University of Arizona. He's on a full scholarship there, studying mechanical engineering."
Tuesday's rally drew support not only from veterans, but also from local and federal leaders. Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva joined Dreamers in calling for immigration reform.
"For the 19,000 that are here in Arizona alone, we have to fight together," Grijalva said. "These are people that have paid their taxes, they have passed their background checks, they have renewed their status every single time. And now, what's happening is we have people that are in this limbo, where before, a process used to take what, six weeks, maybe two months max, now we're on to eight months. And there is no rhyme or reason for how this process is working or not working."
"I stand in solidarity with our immigrants. The City of Tucson was declared many years ago an immigrant welcoming community. And as Mayor, I double down on that for our residents. I'm here for solidarity. I'm here to fight and continue talking about how we should not give up the idea of a comprehensive immigration reform. We should not give up on the idea of passing the Dream Act." Romero said.
By speaking publicly, Navarro Bocanegra says he hopes people can better understand what it is like to live with uncertainty while waiting for his immigration case to move forward.
"I'm here to stand for those people who cannot be standing here with me right now. I just want to stay you're not alone, and we'll all be here together," Navarro Bocanegra said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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