When we talk about immigration, we often say that undocumented migrants live in the shadows. DACA had the effect of turning on the light switch. As soon as the program opened doors for us, we got to work. My work permit allowed me to help start the TheDream.US scholarship program, which has provided Dreamers over 8,750 college scholarships. I was able to buy my first house, start a pension plan and get a driver’s license. In the end I was able to get a green card through a marriage request.
I was part of the negotiations with the White House that led to the formulation of DACA and was part of the group that made sure its implementation went smoothly. There was a real sense of freedom to access what many young Americans take for granted and a sense of accomplishment to see so many DACA recipients succeed anyway.
But not all was rosy for DACA receivers, then or now. Remember, the program itself was a victory won by Dreamers’ fierce advocacy. On January 1, 2010, I was one of those who marched from Miami to Washington as part of the “Trail of Dreams,” asking President Obama to stop deportations and offer delayed action while Congress worked to pass the Dream Act. support from 55 senators and a strong majority of the American public that legislation failed to overcome a Senate filibuster in December 2010.
Even after the Supreme Court ruled in June 2020 against the Trump administration’s attempt to end DACA, the program’s legal challenges continue. A July 2021 ruling by a federal judge in Texas cast further uncertainty on the program’s future.
In the process, the legal challenges and ups and downs remind us that for all its successes, DACA does not provide the assurance its recipients or America need. Despite the popular notion of “young” dreamers, the reality is that the average DACA recipient is now 26 years old, and many of those who fought for and won protection are in their thirties and forties, and are still waiting for the adoption of long-promised legislation. Many lead households; 300,000 children born in the US have at least one parent with DACA.
The struggle is no longer just about being able to access education, but also about being able to care for your family, receive critical health care and participate fully in our shared country. People have built houses here and have strong roots; we’re not kids anymore. The stakes are now much higher.