Close to Home: I went to college on a promise soon to be broken

It's funny the things we take for granted, like what used to be a simple walk down the street has turned into a terrifying experience for me.

Growing up, I knew I was different from others. My parents always told me, 'Son, life's always going to be hard for you. There will always be struggles for people like us.' Yet, for the majority of my life, I lived just as any natural-born American citizen. I had the freedom to go to school, to be able to go out into the world and to enjoy life without fear of being taken from my home.

In 2012, life started looking better thanks to President Barack Obama's Deferred Action plan for undocumented immigrants. I was finally able to step out of the shadows, to be exempt from deportation, to finally have the ability to apply for a legitimate job.

But on Nov. 8, my whole world, along with the world of many other undocumented immigrants, came crumbling down. What I feel isn't anger or hate but rather pain, heartache and sadness.

The people elected a man with a plan to uproot and destroy the lives of millions of undocumented immigrants living in this country. They elected a man who has my people worried to death about the ramifications of his actions. The Washington Post has reported the Donald Trump's proposed immigration policy would target 6.5 million undocumented immigrants for swift removal.

Throughout his campaign, Trump has promised to begin removing undocumented immigrants as early as 'day one, as soon as I take office.' The amount of pain this is sure to cause is unfathomable. What hurts me the most is thinking about other undocumented immigrants who are in the same boat as me. They were brought here when they were very young, and because of that, recognize America as their only home, regardless of legal status.

Furthermore, many undocumented immigrants are pursuing higher education with hopes of being able to graduate from universities and have careers of their own.

According to the New York Times, Trump plans on quickly canceling Obama's Deferred Action program, which would result in stripping away protection from deportation and work permits from 800,000 people who came to the United States as children. This would eradicate the dreams of hundreds of thousands of undocumented students who want nothing more than a better life.

In addition, we would lose jobs and scholarships that many of us have obtained.

The New York Times also reported, in terms of immigration, Trump could accomplish a lot of the goals he has despite resistance from Congress and the courts because of his executive power.

If you are someone who has established a life here illegally, that alone should strike fear to your core. On a whim, he could potentially do whatever he wants, no matter how much his decisions may be based on racist and misguided ideology.

I have friends who are scared to death of what the next four years have to offer. Having a man who lacks human empathy and decency for others is a cause for concern. They have every right to feel disenfranchised and unrepresented.

Nov. 8 is a day that will always stick with me. Never have I felt more hopeless and more vulnerable. I'll never forget my mom calling me the morning after Election Day, hearing the sound of her voice and finding myself breaking into tears.

Noe Felix is a senior at Sonoma State University. He is majoring in communications.