Undocumented Immigrant Youth Deserve a Path to Citizenship. NOW.
On behalf of Pantsuit Nation, I wrote an open letter to Minority Leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer asking them to do everything they can to get a clean DREAM Act passed by the end of the year to protect the 800,000 undocumented youth who are at risk of deportation. With permission, I shared the stories of Cheska Mae Perez and Roque Pech who have posted in the Pantsuit Nation group about their experiences as DACA recipients. I posted my letter (below) in the group on November 27, 2017, and as of this publication, over 9700 people had commented to co-sign. I sent it on to Minority Leaders Pelosi and Schumer on November 28, 2017. We must pressure our leaders to pass a clean DREAM Act — please call your Congresspeople daily until we get this done.
Dear Minority Leader Pelosi and Minority Leader Schumer,
I am the Executive Director of Pantsuit Nation, a 3.9 million member online community using storytelling to highlight the impact policy has on American lives. Some of our most moving stories have come from undocumented young people — sharing their ambitions, hopes, and fears in the face of an uncertain future. Our community rallies around these young people — but it is you who can make a true difference in the stability of their lives. On behalf of the Pantsuit Nation community, I’m writing to to urge you to prioritize passing the DREAM Act by the end of the year.
When President Trump decided to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) on
September 5, 2017, he upended the lives of 800,000 young people who call the United States home — for most, the only home they have ever known. These young people are now facing uncertain futures, and could be deported, dashing their hopes and depriving our country of their potential. This is our opportunity to show immigrant youth and families that our support for a permanent solution is unequivocal — and we will fight to protect them from deportation.
I ask you to press for inclusion of the DREAM Act in any budget caps and short term continuing resolution legislation. If Republicans say no to inclusion of the DREAM Act in a very short-term continuing resolution, I ask you to press Majority Leader McConnell and Speaker Ryan to publicly commit to DREAM as part of the omnibus coming out of the Tuesday White House meeting.
If the Administration, Majority Leader McConnell and Speaker Ryan say no again publicly to inclusion of DREAM in the omnibus, I ask you to publicly denounce the Republicans for their lack of commitment to finishing their work and getting the DREAM Act done before the end of the year, and condoning the deportation of Dreamers. I ask you to publicly and forcefully lead this fight.
Cheska Perez, a member of Pantsuit Nation and a DACA recipient, wrote publicly about her experience as a Dreamer for the Pantsuit Nation Facebook page. She had dreams to attend West Point, but they were dashed when she realized that her immigration status barred her from attending. But Cheska’s determination to be of service was strong, and she began working for a 2016 presidential campaign just after graduating from high school. During that time, she received DACA protections, and was able to take a full time position with the campaign. She is just finishing her first semester in college, this winter. All of this opportunity and service was made possible by DACA.
When Roque Pech posted in Pantsuit Nation, he called his parents “the original dreamers” — the people who saw the opportunity that this country could offer their children, and brought them here so they could dream big and bold. Roque is a DACA beneficiary, and the US is the only home he has known since he was three years old. Roque obtained his Bachelors and Masters degrees and he currently works for an educational technology non-profit — dreams he was able to achieve because this country gave him the opportunity.
The only thing that will keep Dreamers like Cheska and Roque safe from deportation is a path to citizenship. I ask you to include a clean DREAM Act in the December spending bill without add-ons like increased immigration enforcement that keep communities fearful rather than willing to work with law enforcement, and that do nothing to keep people safe. Dreamers like Cheska and Roque need us to make a full throated appeal to pass a clean DREAM Act, and we need you to use all of the leverage you can to protect these young people.
Thank you,
Cortney Tunis
For more information about our organization, or to make a donation, please visit our website. Pantsuit Nation is proud to be a project of Civic Engagement Fund.
[Image Description: A group of people, and a high held high that reads, “beautiful diversity”]
