As DACA Winds Down, the Dream is Still Alive
A little less than an two hours ago, I was sitting in the basement of a school with a group that represents a cross-section of the Columbus community: city officials, activists, educators, students, lawyers, parents, children, entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and more.
Despite that we had every right to meet to discuss what comes next for these children and young adults who have just been slapped in the face with uncertainty, the meeting felt a little clandestine.
I hated that the actions of my country’s administration made such a meeting feel that way.
Many of the attendees are or at one time have been undocumented immigrants but have nevertheless helped make Columbus the city that it is today: growing, thriving, and teeming with opportunity.
Several of us had come from a 300-strong rally in support of DACA. Despite the anxiety and fear that most likely has become the new normal for Dreamers, those in attendance remained undeterred, relating their stories via bullhorn, sporting their nations’ flags, or wearing shirts with the simple declarative that’s become their rallying cry: Here To Stay.
For anyone reading this who doesn’t know, United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced today that DACA is rescinded. The details of the rescission, outlined in today’s memo from Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke, are nothing short of inhumane in the absence of another solution:
- All new applications for DACA filed after September 5, 2017 will be rejected.
- Renewals will continue to be accepted through October 5, 2017, but only for those for whom DACA expires between now and March 5, 2018.
- All requests for advance parole for DACA recipients will be rejected.
This means that, until the United States government provides an alternative, the barriers to prosperity are suddenly tremendous, even for the high-performing high school student who hadn’t yet qualified for the program.
If we can’t find a legislated pathway for Dreamers, the teacher or doctor or engineer whose work authorization expires on March 6, 2018 will be out of a job in six months.
And an under-publicized effect of this rescission is that Dreamers will no longer be able to leave the country (if they want to return), if they find opportunities to study abroad or even if they need to visit an ailing or dying relative.
It is, quite simply, horrifying.
Despite the soul-crushing news today, despite our administration turning its back on both the humanity and the socioeconomic contributions of Dreamers, and in spite of the devastating possibilities associated with losing protected status and work authorization, the people with whom I met today were focused on action.
Yes, there is justifiable vulnerability for this unjustly targeted demographic, and, yes, figuring out what support and resources are necessary to address immediate concerns is warranted, but what struck me was that our undocumented friends and neighbors are not in any way cowed by today’s tragedy.
Quite the opposite, they are galvanized and ready to leverage the democratic process of this country — their home — to ensure they’re afforded the rights and protections they deserve. The conversations this evening swirled around how best to tell their stories of success, how to educate people uninformed or misinformed about DACA, and how to exclaim to the representatives in whose hands their fates now reside:
“I am here! I am here to help, here to contribute, and here to stay!”
The collective energy and momentum of these young people is nothing short of amazing.
We have suffered a tragic loss: not just a loss of critical protections for a group of Americans whose legal status has been admittedly fragile, but also a loss of dignity, of humanity. But nevertheless, the spotlight‘s shining brightly on this incredible group, and they’re shining right back.
The dream is still alive, indeed.
