CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Dozens of DACA recipients rallied Thursday night, urging North Carolina's congressional leaders to pass a DREAM ACT that would protect them from deportation.

One DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipient, Martina Hernandez, spoke about her career as a college student at the Uptown Charlotte event.

"DACA recipients receive out of state tuition, so even if I've lived here my whole life, I have to pay out of state which makes it more difficult to go to school and finish," Hernandez said.

The ralliers spoke openly about their undocumented statuses, saying they want Congress to realize that America is the only country they've ever known.

"I have been so privileged as to have DACA, but my DACA will expire on June 1st, and then I will be subject to deportation," said Arlin Tellez, 18. "It's heartbreaking, it's very frustrating, it makes me very angry honestly. We believe that we have the right to stay here."

Many people at Thursday's rally are protected from deportation and are legally working and/or living in the United States under DACA.

But the Trump administration rescinded the program last September, giving lawmakers a deadline of Mar. 5 to come up with an alternative solution to the controversial immigration reform issue.

Hernandez and Tellez want North Carolina's leaders to withhold their vote on the next government-funding bill (the current one expires January 19) unless a "clean" DREAM ACT is attached that guarantees their staying in America.

DACA enrollees whose benefits expire after March 5, 2018, will be the first to be dropped from the program.