Cafe con Leche: DACA is the American Dream

Stephanie Amador
Stephanie Amador

It was 6:30 am on Monday. 

Following my natural habit, I pulled my phone out and snoozed the alarm. Since I was already up, I looked on social media. I started scrolling down videos on Facebook and then I jumped on to my newsletter app. 

I saw the word DACA - Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. I believe the exact words were “Trump is expected to phase out DACA program.”

My heart sank. I immediately thought about my best friends, my sister and the students who are afraid to say a word. 

I’m not a dreamer, let’s be clear about that. I’m very fortunate to not even worry about my education and my life. However, to those who are worried; I am not speaking for you, but I am standing with you to fight. 

Let’s explain why DACA is important. The reason why immigrant students can get a driver’s license, school education, scholarships and a Visa is because of DACA. 

“Why don’t legal immigrants just get their US citizenship,” you may be wondering.

Because the process is LONG - so long you can wait up to six to seven years if you’re lucky, or 20 years if you barely made the cut. It’s also expensive and if you have a family, your priority is to put food on the table or put a roof over your head. There are many of reasons why people can’t be a U.S. citizen.

The DACA program is not a law. Any current president, after former President Barack Obama, can take it away. As of Monday, on Labor Day when I read that article, President Donald Trump decided to take DACA away, piece by piece. 

The idea is to replace DACA with another program, and the optimistic idea is that maybe President Trump will do something better than DACA. Why would our government get rid of something that has potential. 

I have met brilliant-minded people and those people are under DACA. They deserve to be here. 

They deserve every right to have the “American Dream” because people like me who slack off in school, or those who don’t care don’t deserve that dream. They don’t deserve the job of working in this nation. 

I don’t blame immigrants for taking my job. I blame myself for not trying hard enough. I blame myself for not caring enough and I look up to those people who have DACA. 

I look up to my best friend who aspires to have a career and I look up to her who wants to make something of herself. I look up to her because she’s someone everyone should aspire to be. 

Donald Trump, if there’s something you want to fix, fix the laws and rights legal immigrants and undocumented immigrants don’t have. Fix the system. 

Fix the problem why immigrants have to wait months to years to get their Visas. Fix the system. 

Fix the problem why undocumented immigrants can’t go to a doctor if they are hurt or sick and can’t seek help because they are terrified of being deported. Fix the system. 

Fix your views on the people of minorities. Fix the system. Fix America. 

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