By: Gigi Pedraza, Executive Director
Thirteen years ago this month, something extraordinary happened. After years of tireless advocacy by undocumented youth and their allies, and in the context of the lack of action from the legislature, President Obama signed an Executive Memorandum announcing the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy. For the first time, over 800,000 young people across the country, including thousands here in Georgia, were granted temporary relief from deportation, the ability to work legally, and the opportunity to live with a sense of hope.
DACA recipients have, on average, been 26 years in the country. They are now in their early thirties and are parents, children, spouses, teachers, nurses, business owners, engineers, caregivers, and community organizers. They all, without exception, contribute to the economic and social fabric of our country. None of them has a criminal background, and they have all paid for the submission of their application.
They exemplify the best of Georgia. They pay taxes, they are in every way citizens of the state and defy the narrow confines of their temporary status. Even after 13 years of waiting for a permanent solution that recognizes them fully as part of our nation.
DACA does not have a path forward unless Congress acts. It just provides temporary protection and it is and has been under legal and political threat. Every court ruling, every election, every administration shift has become another cliffhanger for Dreamers who have known no other home than the United States. It’s exhausting. It’s unjust. And it is a betrayal of their courage and their commitment to this country.
Today, we honor the legacy of the work done to secure DACA. Yet, we must also recognize the lack of political courage from those we have elected. We will continue to prioritize pathways for the adjustment of status of millions of immigrants: immigrants who have been paying taxes, have chosen this land as their home, and have and continue to build this country.
Our Communities Must Speak the Truth:
We are living through dangerous times in which divisive rhetoric is being forced regarding failure to recognize not only the complexity of our realities as human beings, but also the real incentives our economic model pushes through the system that sustains various classes of people and workers. Short-sighted policies are tearing families apart. Children are afraid to go to school. People are afraid to drive, to go to work, to seek help.
At Latino Community Fund Georgia, we offer Know Your Rights training, health screenings, nonpartisan civic education, and advocate for policies that expand opportunities for all who live, work and love in Georgia. We support our member organizations working in partnership with our parents, workers, students, entrepreneurs. And we are also in the ground, in neighborhoods, helping people navigate a complex system not designed for all.
We call on our elected and appointed officials and community leaders to reject the politics of fear and division. We demand a permanent solution – a pathway to legalization not only for Dreamers, but for their families and loved ones, and all of those who have and continue to contribute to our country and state.
At the very core of leadership is love. Love for people, love for each other. Time is calling us not to be silent, but to be leaders. Speak up and use your talents by centering on love so our communities, people, and country are stronger, safer, and more united.
“DACA Gave Me a Future”: A Dreamer’s Story
“DACA has truly been a blessing in my life, opening doors for both myself and other Dreamers. It felt like a lifeline for immigrant families whose greatest hope has always been to give their children a brighter future. Navigating life as an immigrant has come with many challenges, but DACA helped change my path in a positive way. I wish for its continued success in the years ahead, as it has allowed so many Dreamers in this country to turn their goals into reality.” – Ciridany Cortez
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