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An undocumented immigrant and her daughter outside the supreme court in June, after a ruling which had implications for the DACA program. (Photo: Eugene Garcia/EPA)
I'm a 'Dreamer.' If Someone Must Be Punished, Let It Be Me.
"Let me pay the fine, let me risk my security by advocating publicly, let me bear the burden of this broken immigration system, not my community."
Oct 13, 2017
I'm a "dreamer." The Trump administration's list of demands it wants in exchange for helping us makes me feel like a traitor.
Among these demands are:
The administration wants a wall that will perpetuate division rather than granting actual security.
It wants fewer protections and faster deportation for child refugees of violence from Central America.
It wants a crackdown on cities that refuse to use police officers as immigration officials, because doing so fosters fear of those who are supposed to protect and encourages racial profiling.
In exchange for granting legal status for young people who have never known any country but the United States, the administration wants us to agree to placing a physical barrier between us and our countries of birth and people. To shutting the door on others who arrive as children just as we did. To shoving our parents back into the shadows of fear. The America I know and love would never ask this of me in exchange for her acceptance.
We are not more human than other immigrants because we are called "dreamers." All that sets us apart is that, thanks to the soon-to-expire Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, we've been able to share our stories for a time without the fear of deportation. If only the voices of bigotry would go silent long enough to hear the whispered stories of the 11 million still-shadowed lives.
We have done nothing more than try to contribute to the nation we love. Why must our communities be "punished" for Republican elected officials to feel better about "helping" us? Let me pay the fine, let me risk my security by advocating publicly, let me bear the burden of this broken immigration system, not my community. I'll do it all if it means I get to call the United States home.
We refuse to bargain at the cost of other marginalized people. Passing a clean Dream Act would enrich our country by building our workforce, improving our economy and strengthening us all as one nation under God. That is all we seek.
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Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
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Sayra Lozano
Sayra Lozano is an immigrant rights advocate and a registered participant in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
I'm a "dreamer." The Trump administration's list of demands it wants in exchange for helping us makes me feel like a traitor.
Among these demands are:
The administration wants a wall that will perpetuate division rather than granting actual security.
It wants fewer protections and faster deportation for child refugees of violence from Central America.
It wants a crackdown on cities that refuse to use police officers as immigration officials, because doing so fosters fear of those who are supposed to protect and encourages racial profiling.
In exchange for granting legal status for young people who have never known any country but the United States, the administration wants us to agree to placing a physical barrier between us and our countries of birth and people. To shutting the door on others who arrive as children just as we did. To shoving our parents back into the shadows of fear. The America I know and love would never ask this of me in exchange for her acceptance.
We are not more human than other immigrants because we are called "dreamers." All that sets us apart is that, thanks to the soon-to-expire Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, we've been able to share our stories for a time without the fear of deportation. If only the voices of bigotry would go silent long enough to hear the whispered stories of the 11 million still-shadowed lives.
We have done nothing more than try to contribute to the nation we love. Why must our communities be "punished" for Republican elected officials to feel better about "helping" us? Let me pay the fine, let me risk my security by advocating publicly, let me bear the burden of this broken immigration system, not my community. I'll do it all if it means I get to call the United States home.
We refuse to bargain at the cost of other marginalized people. Passing a clean Dream Act would enrich our country by building our workforce, improving our economy and strengthening us all as one nation under God. That is all we seek.
Sayra Lozano
Sayra Lozano is an immigrant rights advocate and a registered participant in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
I'm a "dreamer." The Trump administration's list of demands it wants in exchange for helping us makes me feel like a traitor.
Among these demands are:
The administration wants a wall that will perpetuate division rather than granting actual security.
It wants fewer protections and faster deportation for child refugees of violence from Central America.
It wants a crackdown on cities that refuse to use police officers as immigration officials, because doing so fosters fear of those who are supposed to protect and encourages racial profiling.
In exchange for granting legal status for young people who have never known any country but the United States, the administration wants us to agree to placing a physical barrier between us and our countries of birth and people. To shutting the door on others who arrive as children just as we did. To shoving our parents back into the shadows of fear. The America I know and love would never ask this of me in exchange for her acceptance.
We are not more human than other immigrants because we are called "dreamers." All that sets us apart is that, thanks to the soon-to-expire Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, we've been able to share our stories for a time without the fear of deportation. If only the voices of bigotry would go silent long enough to hear the whispered stories of the 11 million still-shadowed lives.
We have done nothing more than try to contribute to the nation we love. Why must our communities be "punished" for Republican elected officials to feel better about "helping" us? Let me pay the fine, let me risk my security by advocating publicly, let me bear the burden of this broken immigration system, not my community. I'll do it all if it means I get to call the United States home.
We refuse to bargain at the cost of other marginalized people. Passing a clean Dream Act would enrich our country by building our workforce, improving our economy and strengthening us all as one nation under God. That is all we seek.
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