SACRAMENTO, Calif. — President Joe Biden met virtually with Mexican President Manuel López Obrador on Monday. 

President Biden sought to find solutions with President Obrador on how to handle immigration at the border. Meanwhile, a comprehensive immigration bill, which includes a path to citizenship for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients — backed by President Biden — faces an uphill battle in Congress.

On day one, Biden signed an executive order to protect DACA and now he is urging Congress to pass the immigration bill that would allow recipients, or Dreamers, to apply for permanent residency and citizenship.

One California undocumented immigrant, however, said that while the new administration’s plans sound promising, he’s still hesitant about applying, especially after the previous administration’s stance against DACA.

“It’s a really big risk. They are not just waltzing in through the border, making faces at the border guards. It’s a trek,” the undocumented immigrant from the Bay Area said.

For his and his family’s safety, the undocumented immigrant chose not to be identified.

He said fears come from the nation’s hostile political climate. At five years old, the young man was running for his life. He journeyed through Mexico with his mother to cross the southern border into California.

“My mom experienced violence in Mexico, and attempted kidnapping. It was literally out of safety that she brought us here,” he said. “It’s sad that we’ve reached a point in this country where some people will be targeted because of who they are.”

When he was younger, his walls came crashing down the day he found out he was undocumented.

“I lost interest in everything, and I guess you could say I started to get depressed, starting in middle school, all because I found out I was not the same as my friends and other classmates,” he said.

The anxiety and paranoia set in.

He said he felt like if he applied to be a Dreamer, it was a trap. He felt any rights through the program could be revoked at a moment's notice and the government would be able to track and deport him and his family immediately. The depression grew worse under the Trump administration.

“I just gave up on life; there’s no sugar-coating it. I just gave up on life,” he said.

Now there is a renewed hope, he said, with a president known to be a dealmaker who strives to work across the aisle. He hopes President Biden can protect him and strike new deals for immigration policies that will last a lifetime. 

“Hopefully [I’m] going to qualify for DACA and just expect everything in the mail and be optimistic. I know it will be life-changing, a very, very life-changing experience,” he said.

His courage has finally come to become a Dreamer. He is getting free help with his DACA paperwork from a non-profit called ImmigrantHelp.

ImmigrantHelp said that since Biden became president, they have seen an increase in the number of immigrants reaching out to get free help. They said they are “on a mission to make immigrating to the United States easy, safe, and free by combining the power of technology with attorneys to help you achieve the American dream.”

Most Republicans have voiced opposition to Biden’s immigration policies, saying they could lead to a health and national security threat to the country.

Biden’s immigration plans include reuniting families separated under the Trump administration and implementing a team to find solutions for migration issues. The president wants to allow a pathway for illegal immigrants to potentially become residents in five years and citizens in eight.

Republicans said it is not right to allow people who broke the law to gain citizenship. They said “amnesty” encourages illegal immigration.

As for DACA, Biden wants to allow Dreamers to apply for residency immediately and for citizenship after three years. There’s a bipartisan bill out now, led by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), that grants a similar prospect for Dreamers. While DACA grows in popularity according to Pew Research surveys, Texas and eight other states want it to end, arguing it is unlawful.

Therefore, the fate of DACA still is uncertain and with former President Trump against it, a question remains if Republican Senators will ever support Biden’s immigration legislation.