Nohemí Martinez, born in Tepic (Nayarit), and “Gabriela Montes”, originally from Guadalajara (Jalisco) —both Mexican— began on 2021 with renewed hopes of pursuing a professional career, thanks to the continued protection of the DACA program.
An amparo that tried to annul, until now without success, the administration of the still president of the United States, Donald Trump.
Both Nohemí and “Gabriela”, who preferred not to use her real name to protect her identity, have 19 years and are university students.
The first lives in Perris, a city in Riverside County, wants to be a pharmacist and for He is now studying at Moreno Valley Community College but is planning to transfer to the University of California Riverside (UCR).
“My parents brought me to the United States when I was four years; I grew up here, I have had DACA since 15 years, but I have never been to Mexico “, declared Nohemí.
” What I regret the most is that I never had the opportunity to personally meet my grandparents by of my dad, they already passed away. On my mother’s side, my grandfather Ricardo died in 2017 and I could never say goodbye to him. ”
“Gabriela”, meanwhile, aspires to a career in psychology. He is currently pursuing his degree online at the University of California at Merced. She completed her application on 20 for the first time Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
“When the president He canceled the program, I was very scared because I needed it, “said the young woman.
” I was afraid that I would never be able to get insurance and a job, and I thought, how am I going to go to university if I can’t pay for my studies? I was saddened. ”
The program is back Last December, federal judge Nicholas Garaufis, ordered the complete reinstatement of the DACA program – which former President Barack Obama created in 2012 in order to give undocumented immigrants brought to this nation as children a chance.
The decision required the Department to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will accept new applications and grant work permits to all eligible beneficiaries.
With this program, the close to 640, 000 DACA recipients – also called “Dreamers” – such as Nohemí and others 171, 000 recent high school graduates like “Gabriela” are protected from deportation, they can obtain valid Social Security cards and authorization documents.
DHS was required to publish a notice notifying the public of the acceptance of both initial applications and renewal applications, and that the documents of employment authorization would be granted for two years.
Way to fight “So far we have advised about 1 with their renewal applications and new applications, 500 dreamers, ”said Luz Gallegos, executive director of the non-profit organization“ Training Occupational Development Educating Communities ”(TODEC), which covers the Inland Empire.
“Since the court ruling, it has been like a new dawn for our youth who never lowered their guard to defend themselves against Trump’s cancellation of the program. ”
Gallegos announced that the nation’s pro-immigrant leaders will now press to the administration of the president ect, Joe Biden, so that together with the Congress -now a Democratic majority- “make the HR6 Act a complete reality [Ley de Promesas y Sueños Americanos de 2019, de la congresista Lucille Roybal-Allard]”.
“That law has already passed in the House of Representatives, the only thing missing is the Senate … We have to push for a path to citizenship to be achieved, as we have done for decades and advocate for our millions of undocumented parents,” he said.
Salvador Sanabria, executive director of El Rescate, an immigrant defense organization that has provided free help to around 500 DACA youth to renew their work permits and fill out dozens of new applications.
“We no longer have to ask but demand [al presidente Joe Biden] that she fulfill the electoral promises, but [la vice presidenta electa] Kamala Harris is key because she is more committed to the cause of the requests asylum, with TPS beneficiaries [Estatus de Protección Temporal] and DACA youth ”, he indicated.
“ That’s why the activists, who truly want and have no interest in benefiting from the decisions, must be activated. ”
“ If they don’t comply with us, we will have to leave to the streets so that our demands become reality and that they no longer betray us like Obama, who promised immigration reform and became deporter-in-chief… We cannot allow it one more time ”, he added.
“If they do not comply, this nation will be doomed to failure.”
To achieve that compliance with the promises of politicians, both Nohemí and “Gabriela” have joined the network of volunteer activists in TODEC and the Coalition for the Human Rights of Immigrants in Los Angeles (CHIRLA).
Several young people, like them from the TODEC organization, continue to fight for DACA to continue standing. In figures In a report delivered to the federal court in Brooklyn, New York, DHS said that it had already approved 171 new DACA applications between 14 November and the end of 2020. The federal agency also disclosed that it denied 121 applications and rejected 369 out of a total of 2, 713 that I had received.
“When I was little I didn’t feel anything, but as I got older I It was so upsetting that my parents brought me to the United States; It’s not that back in Tepic we had everything, but I asked them why we didn’t return to Mexico, “said Anahí.
” Today I realized that They did it to give me a better future and a better life; that’s why it’s good to have DACA and keep fighting for more. ” His younger brother, Ricardo, will also be protected by the program.