Dreamers from across the country continue to raise their voices and call on Congress to act – for their futures and for America. First-person narratives from Dreamers in Utah, Ohio, Nebraska, Maine, and Pennsylvania–appearing in their local papers–continue to tell the story about the crisis that Trump’s cancellation of DACA has created, and the need for Congress to pass replacement legislation ASAP.
As Ciriac Alvarez, writes in a must-read op-ed in the Salt Lake Tribune:
With DACA I was able to graduate from the University of Utah, obtain my first car and now work full time to help my family. My worker permit expires in less than 640 days. That means I have less than 640 days to work legally and live without the threat of deportation. How can I plan the rest of my life out when less than two of those years are certain?
In Ohio, Dreamer Jose Mendez joins with Oberlin Professor Steve Volk in an op-ed for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Mendez writes:
Since Trump announced that he would terminate DACA in March, deportation is on my mind every night; I can’t sleep, worrying that I will be sent to a country that I have no memory of. My life is on hold.
In a moving op-ed to the Omaha World-Herald, Alejandra Ayotitla of Lincoln, Nebraska shared her memories of the day DACA began and ended, stating that:
Only if Congress upholds the promise that was made to our families when we applied for DACA and recognizes America’s long-held values of ensuring safety and opportunity for those who want to work hard, will we continue to be able to contribute to the place we call home.
Christian Castaneda, a Dreamer from Maine wishing to join the U.S. Marine Corps, traveled to Maine to meet other Dreamers and share his story with Senator Susan Collins:
At the end of the day, I feel very good to see other people in Washington, D.C., and know that they’re supporting us and know that we don’t stand alone.
Finally, Zion Digantara, a Dreamer from Pennsylvania who wishes to enlist in the military, writes a message to the Congressional Delegation of his state:
I would like to tell our Pennsylvania Members of Congress: We were not born in this country, but we grew up here and we’re fighting to earn our place. Please give us our chance to serve the only country we consider home. Please find a way to allow us to work and stay right here where we belong.
The lives and futures of thousands of Dreamers like Ciriac, Jose, Alejandra, Christian and Zion remain on hold as Congressional Republicans and Donald Trump continue to obstruct bipartisan legislation like the Dream Act. These promises made to these aspiring Americans should be upheld, while the contributions and opportunities they create should be nourished for the benefit of the United States.
