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I’m Relieved the Court Protected Dreamers… but That’s Only Step One
The DACA decision needs to be firmed up with a pathway to citizenship
Like the rest of the world, some days it feels like I’m standing in a storm. My father lost his job because of the pandemic and my special needs younger brother is immunocompromised. Now they depend on me to earn a paycheck, buy the groceries, and run essential errands. On top of all that, the federal program that allows me to live and work here legally has been under threat, and until recent weeks, it seemed likely that I’d become eligible for deportation. For so long, I’ve been living on adrenaline and fear, if I were deported, I don’t know how my parents would cope and I don’t know how my brother would survive.
To my surprise and deep relief, the Supreme Court ruled to save the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which gives work authorization and protection from deportation to me and 660,000 Dreamers, who are undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. The decision recognizes the tremendous contributions Dreamers make to this country. I’m grateful that the Supreme Court decision has allowed us to stay. Of course, there’s still work to be done. The Trump administration could attempt to cancel the program again. Until Congress passes legislation that…
