By Eric Stock
BLOOMINGTON – Two Illinois Wesleyan football players have more than classes and their next game to worry about.
Two of them fear they could be deported. Victor Arizmendi told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin said his mother brought him the U.S. before he turned 2 and he’s been on American soil ever since. Now that President Trump has called for overhauling the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program that protects so-called ‘dreamers’ his future in uncertain.
PODCAST: Listen to Scott’s interview with Arizmendi and Maciorowski on WJBC.
“I still remember the text that I got from my mom when President Trump got elected,” Arizmendi said. “She was like ‘everything is going to start getting tougher for you now and I just want you to be careful.’ ”
Teammate and fellow sophomore Chrystian Maciorowski said he too is worried he could be sent back to his native Poland where he hasn’t been since he was 2.
While he doesn’t believe he will de deported, Maciorowski told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin, just the thought that his family could be torn apart in ‘heartbreaking.’
“It hurts a lot,” Maciorowski said. “All you know is America, you are part of this culture now, you have all your friends here and the thought you could be sent back is just scary.”
Maciorowski said his self-employed parents overstayed their visa but have Social Security cards and drivers licenses pay their taxes.
He added his parents have always told him to keep a low profile and stay out of trouble.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
