‘Why are you punishing us?’ Two brothers in college react to Trump decision that could see them deported

Two brothers who are about to start the new semester are uncertain they will have a future in college because of Donald Trump's decision to end DACA.

Ricardo Ortiz, a junior at the University of Houston, and his younger brother Rodrigo, who is about to begin freshman year at the University of Minnesota, fear the worst when it comes to being able to study in America.

Fox News revealed Trump's plan to cut the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which allows tens of thousands of young people to study in the US.

A government source said those with work permits might be allowed to stay until they expire, but the status of students is currently unknown.

This has left Ricardo and his family afraid of deportations and the opportunity for a better life snatched out of their hands.

Ricardo Ortiz, junior at the UH

We're all very scared. It took a lot for us and our families to get here.

My parents are very optimistic but me and my brother are more on focus. We're very worried. My little brother is leaving for college on Saturday and unsure of what happens next.

I don't understand what the purpose of it is. It's discrimination. You have thousands and thousands of immigrants on legal status who are working. You have them under check. You know what they're doing. And they're cutting all ties with us. What are they going to do? Deport thousands of DACA recipients and their families?

I have no problem with people being deported who have committed a crime or hurt the country. But when you have hardworking people who are working from 5am till 5pm and put their kids through school and sacrifice what they have, why are you punishing us?

It would be so sad for Trump to end DACA. It's helping the economy in every way. People on DACA are working and paying taxes. And it's not like the government is giving us huge amounts of aid – you even have to pay $495 for every DACA application.

I feel like it won't help. I don't see how DACA is affecting anybody – there's no harm in the DACA program. Honestly there's no logic to canceling this.

I just renewed my DACA a week ago. I'm very concerned for my position. I was talking to my friends about this and we agreed that it was insane that they're doing this.

Rodrigo Ortiz, freshman at Minnesota

I just heard. It's so sad. DACA helps so many students with low income families. For me, I don't see anything wrong with that. It's the perfect program – it can lead to more comprehensive immigration reform. I don't understand how someone would do this when it does so much help. I don't really see the negatives. I don't understand why they would want to remove it. I see how it's helped my brother in so many ways. He's had the opportunity to work and study and get a driver's license. It's made us feel more secure. Before we weren't scared about deportations but with DACA being removed it would make things a lot more scary.

At first I thought it was just rumors. We've been worried like this for the last couple months. My family are going to be so disappointed. I hope something changes this decision.

I'm going to stay strong and continue fighting and make sure the Dreamers get their education.

I wish that something would be merely replaced. I don't understand why they would get rid of it.

We don't know what's happening next. I'm scared of going to college so far from home, I'm going to school in University of Minnesota. There's the feeling like I'm no longer protected by the law. It's so scary. DACA has been so powerful for so many people, that removing it would do no good for society. It would cause so many problems and cause so many concern for families like ours.

DACA has helped us so much. There's a real concern we'll have to leave the States. So many people have already been deported in our situation. My parents are worried, the law is much harder on adults then it is on kids

My parents have paid taxes for 20 years in this country. Why do they have to do this to us?