SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Passage of the Dream Act is a necessary step. But it must be just the first of many. (Photo: Shutterstock)
All Undocumented Americans Deserve a Pathway to Citizenship
Years of advocacy have made DACA the floor of what’s possible, not the ceiling.
Feb 09, 2021
My father's tired eyes lit up in a way that I had not seen since my sister was born. "Esto nos podria cambiar la vida," he said. "This could change our lives."
This was his hopeful reaction to the Biden-Harris administration's proposal of legislation that would create a path to citizenship for immigrants like him.
He is exactly right--it could change our lives. But only if we keep the new administration accountable so that it actually does.
My family and community have lived in the shadows for decades, and I have never felt closer to basking in the sun. But too often, politicians have exploited our hopes for votes, only to backtrack. For these promises to become a reality for my father, mother, and all 11 million undocumented Americans living in the United States, we must continue to push past the status quo.
The early signs, at least, are promising.
On day one of his administration, President Biden signed an executive order announcing his commitment to preserve and fortify the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which survived years of attack from the Trump administration. DACA temporarily protects undocumented people like me, most of whom immigrated to the U.S. as young children, from deportation.
Our families deserved this moment of relief.
President Biden's pledge to preserve DACA is a welcome one, not only for the immediate positive impact it has on the lives of hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients and our families, but also because it sets a refreshing change of pace for what's to come.
The immediate action we're seeing from this administration on immigration is no fluke. It's the result of advocacy, tenacity, and resilience by many Black and brown advocates who have consistently refused to accept the status quo.
By supporting the preservation of DACA at the outset, the Biden-Harris administration has confirmed that DACA is the floor--and not the ceiling--of what's possible. It's a commitment to go beyond the parameters of past efforts, moving away from temporary fixes and toward permanent relief for all.
In another encouraging sign, Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) recently reintroduced the Dream Act, which would offer a pathway to citizenship for over 2 million eligible undocumented people, including DACA recipients. It would also include Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) holders seeking safety from life-threatening conditions in their countries of origin.
Passage of the Dream Act is a necessary step. But it must be just the first of many.
President Biden has encouraged Congress to pass legislation that would create an eight-year path to citizenship for all undocumented people in the United States and place DACA recipients, TPS holders, and immigrant farmworkers on an expedited path to citizenship.
The immediate action we're seeing from this administration on immigration is no fluke. It's the result of advocacy, tenacity, and resilience by many Black and brown advocates who have consistently refused to accept the status quo.
In the coming weeks and months, we have a chance to bring safety and opportunity to all 11 million undocumented immigrants and our families in the United States. While the Dream Act is indeed an important step in ensuring millions of undocumented youth no longer have to live with uncertainty, it would still leave Dreamers like me worrying about the ever-present fear of separation from our loved ones who don't benefit from the temporary security that DACA provides.
Legalization efforts must be inclusive not just of DACA recipients, but also of our children, families, and communities--who, like mine, all call this country home.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. 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. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
This column was distributed by OtherWords.
Vanessa Meraz
Vanessa Meraz, a DACA recipient who immigrated to the U.S. when she was three years old, works on the Immigration and Immigrant Families policy team at the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP). This op-ed was distributed by OtherWords.org.
My father's tired eyes lit up in a way that I had not seen since my sister was born. "Esto nos podria cambiar la vida," he said. "This could change our lives."
This was his hopeful reaction to the Biden-Harris administration's proposal of legislation that would create a path to citizenship for immigrants like him.
He is exactly right--it could change our lives. But only if we keep the new administration accountable so that it actually does.
My family and community have lived in the shadows for decades, and I have never felt closer to basking in the sun. But too often, politicians have exploited our hopes for votes, only to backtrack. For these promises to become a reality for my father, mother, and all 11 million undocumented Americans living in the United States, we must continue to push past the status quo.
The early signs, at least, are promising.
On day one of his administration, President Biden signed an executive order announcing his commitment to preserve and fortify the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which survived years of attack from the Trump administration. DACA temporarily protects undocumented people like me, most of whom immigrated to the U.S. as young children, from deportation.
Our families deserved this moment of relief.
President Biden's pledge to preserve DACA is a welcome one, not only for the immediate positive impact it has on the lives of hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients and our families, but also because it sets a refreshing change of pace for what's to come.
The immediate action we're seeing from this administration on immigration is no fluke. It's the result of advocacy, tenacity, and resilience by many Black and brown advocates who have consistently refused to accept the status quo.
By supporting the preservation of DACA at the outset, the Biden-Harris administration has confirmed that DACA is the floor--and not the ceiling--of what's possible. It's a commitment to go beyond the parameters of past efforts, moving away from temporary fixes and toward permanent relief for all.
In another encouraging sign, Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) recently reintroduced the Dream Act, which would offer a pathway to citizenship for over 2 million eligible undocumented people, including DACA recipients. It would also include Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) holders seeking safety from life-threatening conditions in their countries of origin.
Passage of the Dream Act is a necessary step. But it must be just the first of many.
President Biden has encouraged Congress to pass legislation that would create an eight-year path to citizenship for all undocumented people in the United States and place DACA recipients, TPS holders, and immigrant farmworkers on an expedited path to citizenship.
The immediate action we're seeing from this administration on immigration is no fluke. It's the result of advocacy, tenacity, and resilience by many Black and brown advocates who have consistently refused to accept the status quo.
In the coming weeks and months, we have a chance to bring safety and opportunity to all 11 million undocumented immigrants and our families in the United States. While the Dream Act is indeed an important step in ensuring millions of undocumented youth no longer have to live with uncertainty, it would still leave Dreamers like me worrying about the ever-present fear of separation from our loved ones who don't benefit from the temporary security that DACA provides.
Legalization efforts must be inclusive not just of DACA recipients, but also of our children, families, and communities--who, like mine, all call this country home.
Vanessa Meraz
Vanessa Meraz, a DACA recipient who immigrated to the U.S. when she was three years old, works on the Immigration and Immigrant Families policy team at the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP). This op-ed was distributed by OtherWords.org.
My father's tired eyes lit up in a way that I had not seen since my sister was born. "Esto nos podria cambiar la vida," he said. "This could change our lives."
This was his hopeful reaction to the Biden-Harris administration's proposal of legislation that would create a path to citizenship for immigrants like him.
He is exactly right--it could change our lives. But only if we keep the new administration accountable so that it actually does.
My family and community have lived in the shadows for decades, and I have never felt closer to basking in the sun. But too often, politicians have exploited our hopes for votes, only to backtrack. For these promises to become a reality for my father, mother, and all 11 million undocumented Americans living in the United States, we must continue to push past the status quo.
The early signs, at least, are promising.
On day one of his administration, President Biden signed an executive order announcing his commitment to preserve and fortify the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which survived years of attack from the Trump administration. DACA temporarily protects undocumented people like me, most of whom immigrated to the U.S. as young children, from deportation.
Our families deserved this moment of relief.
President Biden's pledge to preserve DACA is a welcome one, not only for the immediate positive impact it has on the lives of hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients and our families, but also because it sets a refreshing change of pace for what's to come.
The immediate action we're seeing from this administration on immigration is no fluke. It's the result of advocacy, tenacity, and resilience by many Black and brown advocates who have consistently refused to accept the status quo.
By supporting the preservation of DACA at the outset, the Biden-Harris administration has confirmed that DACA is the floor--and not the ceiling--of what's possible. It's a commitment to go beyond the parameters of past efforts, moving away from temporary fixes and toward permanent relief for all.
In another encouraging sign, Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) recently reintroduced the Dream Act, which would offer a pathway to citizenship for over 2 million eligible undocumented people, including DACA recipients. It would also include Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) holders seeking safety from life-threatening conditions in their countries of origin.
Passage of the Dream Act is a necessary step. But it must be just the first of many.
President Biden has encouraged Congress to pass legislation that would create an eight-year path to citizenship for all undocumented people in the United States and place DACA recipients, TPS holders, and immigrant farmworkers on an expedited path to citizenship.
The immediate action we're seeing from this administration on immigration is no fluke. It's the result of advocacy, tenacity, and resilience by many Black and brown advocates who have consistently refused to accept the status quo.
In the coming weeks and months, we have a chance to bring safety and opportunity to all 11 million undocumented immigrants and our families in the United States. While the Dream Act is indeed an important step in ensuring millions of undocumented youth no longer have to live with uncertainty, it would still leave Dreamers like me worrying about the ever-present fear of separation from our loved ones who don't benefit from the temporary security that DACA provides.
Legalization efforts must be inclusive not just of DACA recipients, but also of our children, families, and communities--who, like mine, all call this country home.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.