Emily speaks of the opportunities the proposal would give her family in the future tense, and said she tries to stay positive about the bill’s chances. However, she does have her doubts. “Since I started following politics more, I’ve become very cynical about these things,” she said, citing the rejection of the DREAM Act.

Emily has thought her future if there is no reform. “We’re going to have to seriously start considering the marriage thing again,” she said.

Hernandez shares this cynicism, and said that he has stopped following the immigration debate because of the emotional toll it took.

“I used to follow the DREAM Act big-time,” he said. “It creates a lot of excitement. It creates a lot of hope. And to hear the results and that no, it didn’t pass, it just shuts me down.”

From a policy perspective, Anker sees immigration reform is inevitable.

“I don’t think we can continue on in the country this way with this underground population,” she said.

Anker also said she thinks a rejection of this bill would be “a setback to democracy and national security,” antagonizing the United States abroad and damaging relations with Mexico.

However, Emily said that it is important that people look beyond the politics.

“I think what a lot of people are forgetting is that these are people’s lives,” she said. “This is a human rights issue.”

—Staff writer Caroline T. Zhang can be reached at carolinezhang@college.harvard.edu.