10 Jun HR6 Passes, DACA Recipients Rejoice!
The Long Journey of DACA, from 2012 to the Dream and Promise Act of 2019…
On June 15 2012, undocumented immigrants all around the US were given hope of a better life, one no longer in the shadows, and with more opportunities in education and careers. Undocumented Immigrants that arrived as children under the age of 31, now dubbed DREAMers, were given legal status and work permits through an executive order from President Barack Obama. This meant they could now attended college, get jobs legally, and acquire driver licenses. The DREAMers were now protected from being deported from the only country they have known as home, since some of them left at a very young age and didn’t have the opportunity to visit their native country.
The name DREAMers originated from a series of failed federal legislations called the Dream Act, and in response to the lack of legislation being put out by congress, President Obama decided to issue the executive order, with the hopes that legislation will soon be passed. However, any form of legislation never came to fruition, and as the Obama Administration ended, the DREAMers were left unprotected with their futures up in the air. Many of those DREAMers took advantage of opportunities given to them, some of them earning degrees, others working their way up legitimate career fields. With the beginning of the Trump administration, the entirety of the DREAMers’ lives could be uprooted any second, and when the Trump administration ordered that DACA come to an end, all the DREAMers were once again no longer welcomed in the country they called home. As of right now, the decision to end DACA is under judicial review, having been ruled against, the DREAMers are safe for now but their futures remain cloudy.
“This is critical, and it’s worth celebrating even though, we have more work to do because this sends a strong message, not just from the democratic party, but across the nation and across the yard to the senate”
-Dina Titus, District 1 US Congresswoman
Since the introduction of DACA, deporting the DREAMers would be the same as deporting Americans, there is no difference between a child that arrived at one year old or one that was born in the US. Some DREAMers didn’t find out they are undocumented until they are old enough to apply for driving permits or when the time for college applications comes around. For the Trump Administration to tell the DREAMers, that they’re not valued and they’re not allowed to be a part of this country. The hope of the DREAMers lies in the hands of congress passing the Dream and Promise Act and the 2020 Presidential Race.
On June 4, 2019, DREAMers got to celebrate the passage of HR6, the Dream and Promise Act, in the House of Representatives! The following Friday June 7th, MRNV hosted the Nevada congressional delegation to celebrate this victory! We had Congresswoman Susie Lee, Congressman Steven Horsford, and Congresswoman Dina Titus speak about the bill along with members of the Nevada Immigrant Coalition and the community. Our leaders talked about continuing the fight as HR6 moves onto the senate, where the fight becomes tougher.
To learn more about the Dream and Promise Act visit our page here: The Dream and Promise Act of 2019