DENVER — Seventeen years ago, 15-year-old Bianca Acosta couldn’t look her mother in the eyes as she bid goodbye to her family and Mexico, seeking safety, security, and a career in the United States.

Acosta was born and raised in a small village in Zacatecas, Mexico.

“No one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark,” Acosta said, quoting poet Warsan Shire.

Acosta embarked on a journey to the U.S. with a group of 15 people guided by a "coyote," a smuggler.

Only five people, including herself, made it through the two-month journey. Tapping into those memories is emotionally tolling.

“I was 15, and it was scary,” Acosta said. “I have PTSD.”

Acosta moved in with her family in Colorado. Her decision to pack up and leave opened doors to a career out of reach in her homeland. She graduated from the University of Northern Colorado and pursued a job in education.

Her schooling and safety came with many sacrifices.

“My grandfather passed in 2017, and I couldn’t see him,” Acosta said. “I have two siblings that I don’t know in person.”

Her immigration status as a DACA recipient prevented her from traveling outside the United States. DACA recipients can only travel if they can prove it’s for education, employment, or a humanitarian reason like a funeral or a sick family member.

Acosta did not qualify for any categories until last year, when her mother’s heart problems worsened. Fearful of her mother’s health, Acosta applied for "advanced parole," which allows immigrants to travel outside of the U.S. and return lawfully.

Still, it comes with risks, including the possibility of getting stuck outside of the United States.

Acosta went to the immigration office in Colorado to help expedite her application process, but she said she was told it would take eight to nine months unless her mother died. Determined, Acosta pushed forward and prayed to her ancestors. She was eventually approved for a three-month visit to Mexico.

“I was like, 'I’m going to see my mom, I am going to be able to tell her like, here is your runaway child; I’m here I’m home, I’m home,'” Acosta said.

For nearly two decades, she’s held on to childhood memories and phone calls. Technology in her small village is behind, video calls aren’t an option, and phone lines are sometimes down for weeks.

“My mom doesn’t know I’m coming, it’s going to be a surprise,” Acosta said. “I want to say, 'I’m sorry I couldn’t come before, sorry I couldn’t be there when she was sick, and to see my siblings grow up.'”

It’s an unexpected gift heavy with emotion. Acosta worries she may not recognize her mother after 17 years.

To help fund Acosta's extended trip to Mexico, a mentor launched a GoFundMe.

Acosta hopes to raise $5,000 to cover her rent and other expenses in the United States while she’s gone. Her 14-year-old daughter is in high school and will stay with a family member while she’s gone.

“I don’t think nothing that I ever do will give me back those 17 years that I missed, walking alongside my family, my land, my people,” Acosta said.

While it’s been challenging, she doesn’t regret her decision to leave. Over the years, their bond has grown stronger, and Acosta can't wait to make corn tortillas with her mother next to her.

The excitement to reunite with her mom steals her sleep as she inches closer to Saturday, the day she plans to begin her journey back home. Acosta says if she has to, she will sell her call to cover her expenses.

Adi Guajardo at KMGH first reported this story.

WASHINGTON — Both Monica Camacho Perez and Norma Irene Alvarez, dreamers who we recently met, believe the time for action is now.

"I was brought here at the age of 7," Perez, a DACA recipient who works in Baltimore's school system, said.

"I've been told to go back and dream," Alvarez said from a picnic table in El Paso, Texas.

Even though the women are thousands of miles away from each other, their stories are similar. Both came to the United States as a child by crossing the border illegally.

Both were granted protections under the DACA program by President Barack Obama. Both were thrown into limbo under President Donald Trump. Now, both want action by President Joe Biden.

"I want my green card," Alvarez said.

"I’m thankful for DACA, but we want a pathway to citizenship," Perez said.

UPCOMING VOTES

Congress will vote on the The Dream and Promise Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act on Thursday. If signed into law, both would represent historic legislation.

The Dream and Promise Act would create a pathway to citizenship for Alvarez and Perez. While they would initially be extended protected status, after ten years, full citizenship would be offered.

A clean criminal record and a GED would be required.

The Farm Workforce and Modernization Act would not apply to the women, but it would apply to thousands of farm workers around the United States. It would allow immigrants who work on farms to become a protected class. As long as they work on a farm for 100 days a year, after four years green cards would be extended.

CHALLENGE IN BECOMING LAW

While both pieces of legislation are expected to pass the House of Representatives, actually becoming law remains a challenge. Sixty senators would need to support the legislation and right now, the votes are not there for passage.

The issue is made more complicated by the emerging situation on the border with a surge in migrants attempting to cross in recent weeks.

The number of immigrants attempting to enter the U.S. last month was up 28% from January.

It is up 174% from February 2020. While many adults are sent back, unaccompanied children stay in government facilities.