"Give me your tired, your poor...," written on the very statue, a symbol of our great nation as sign to welcome people to this country. After World War I, my family came from all different areas of Europe looking for this American Dream. I have to say that I am lucky that they did. I looked at the birth certificates of my grandparents. The one thing that they had in common was that there parents were all immigrants. I am third generation American, and strapped of course with First World problems.I was lucky that the four generations back, my great-grandparents did the hard work and left everything that they had known to come to country. Coming here after one of the hardest and most devastating times in history. Imagine trying to survive as new immigrant having only been in this country a few years to have to live through the Great Depression. They didn't return to their countries despite the hardships that the nation faced...no they stayed for the promise of the American dream for themselves and their children.
Dreamers..that is exactly what my great-grandparents were. Many of them came here as young children. My great-grandparents didn't have a choice in where they came or when, anymore than children have choice in the hideous outfits they wore as children. (Where were the fashion police when I was kid?) What is a "Dreamer?" It is just someone looking to achieve the American dream. The land of opportunity--where a college drop-out can become a billionaire, where one person refusing to move on a bus can start a movement, where one man can have a dream for his children to not be judged by color of their skin, where all people are endowed with inalienable right--this is the dream.
Many people seem to forget that the Dream Act, in which we get the title Dreamers, was actually introduced by then President George W. Bush. In 2001, Congress was unable to pass the Dream Act - Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors - to allow those people who were brought here as children to have a path to permanent residency. These are children whose crime is being brought to a foreign country as a child often with little belongings and leaving behind everything that they know. Some of these children are brought here so young they can't remember any other country than this one. When I was 4, my father was stationed on a military base when orders came that he was being transferred to a different one. One day I lived in one state and the next day I lived in another. I was not given a choice or consulted. Why? Because I was a child! The only difference for me, I am lucky enough to be born in this country.
With the failed Dream Act and no prospects of coming to a bi-partisan resolution, then President Barak Obama created DACA - Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Here are few things about DACA:
- Must be under 31 years old as of June 15, 2012
- Must have been brought to the United States prior to 16 years old
- Must have continuously lived in the United States since 2007
- 100% of recipients have not criminal record
- 91% are employed or going to school
- It cost MONEY!!!
According to statistics, there are 1.9 million eligible Dreamers who could have applied for DACA, but less than 800,000 did. One of the greatest barriers to applying for DACA is the money it costs. The fee was $465 for initial and renewal applications. Another great fear for the children is the family members in the household that did not meet the qualifications to apply for DACA and declaring their place of residence. With DACA these Dreamers are/were able to temporarily live in this country, work, and get an education. What did that mean to the American people? More payments to the federal government, collected taxes, and a thorough background check on every Dreamer's application.
In 2017, President Trump decided to end DACA. These Dreamers are no longer offered the protections that the DACA programmed offered. Once their permits expire, they will no longer receive the protection from deportation from a country that they consider their home. What does that mean? We as a society, as a nation, as rational human beings are failing. We are failing to consider basic human decency, failing to protect top talent and educated people, failing to put aside political views, and most importantly--failing to provide hope to the next generation. The Dream Act failed, DACA failed, and no decisions have been reached.
What can be done? Congress has six weeks to come to some decisions. Can they put aside their own agendas to make sure that we don't fail? Can they stop pointing fingers long enough to look into the eyes of the families that will be ripped apart? Can they stop holding the lives of over a million young people hostage for the sake of an ill-promised wall? I guess if history has taught us anything is that people in power do not always represent the will of the people they are supposed to represent. I encourage each of your to reach out to your Senator and Congressman, let them know that you do not want to fail our Dreamers again. Many of us are still out there searching for the American dream. #defenddaca #istandwithdreamers
To find your congressman or state senator's contact information visit: https://contactingcongress.org/
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