On election night in Seattle, James and Felice decided to get married.
Not because she was pregnant, Felice teased. They were in love — and Felice's legal status in the U.S. was tenuous.
Listen to their story:
Ever since President Trump won, she has worried.
"There has never been a day that goes by that I did not wish I was white since Trump won," she said. "I'm afraid to be around strangers. To me, Trump made it OK to be racist."
Felice was nine years old when she left the Philippines.
Eventually, she became a ‘Dreamer’ with temporary lawful status in the U.S. through a program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. It’s designed to remove the risk of deportation for immigrants who came here as children, are in school or working, and have a clean record.
James said they'd planned to get married — someday.
"On election night, I was panicked," James said. "She could be deported. That's what scared me the most."
Trump vowed to end the DACA program during his campaign. His position now is unclear, although he has said it is a very difficult subject for him.
Editor's note: We are not using the subjects' full names because their immigration case is pending.
