Guest Columnist – Another Year Without A Solution For DREAMers

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Marissa Molina / Colorado State Immigration Director – FWD.us

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It is not easy being an immigrant in today’s world. The rhetoric against immigrants wherever you are in the country is deafening and hurtful. And the broken immigration system can be used at its worst as a weapon and in its least harmful iteration as an almost insurmountable barrier. However, that should not erase the fact that this is a country of immigrants where our contributions are everywhere. That is why for many Dreamers who came to this country when they were young, this Tuesday will be a bittersweet day because they celebrate the ninth anniversary of the creation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, yet they continue to live in a world of uncertainty.

A lot of work needs to be done so that DREAMers and their families can have some stability and peace of mind. The American Dream and Promise Act, passed by the U.S House in March, and the DREAM Act, waiting approval in the Senate, are steps in the right direction. Many people would benefit greatly from these legislations, like Karen Nuñez. She is a recent graduate of MSU Denver, who studied biochemistry and hopes to become a professor. She did not qualify for DACA but would qualify for the Dream and Promise Act. Diversity in STEM has been an essential goal of the scientific community for years, and now here is the chance for a Latina to contribute to science but her immigration status is getting in the way.

There are thousands of other DREAMers right here in Colorado and throughout the nation, equally hard-working such as Adriana Montiel, a science teacher who works with gifted and emerging bilingual students and also a DACA recipient. Dreamers’ contributions to our country became even more evident throughout the pandemic. More than 200,000 DACA recipients across the country, including more than4,300 in Colorado alone, have worked essential jobs during the pandemic. 

In addition to the cultural and community richness immigrants bring to the United States, the economic benefit of DACA recipients helps everyone. In Colorado alone, there are more than 14,000 DACA recipients. DREAMers such as Lu pay nearly $43.9 million in annual state and local taxes and contribute to our economy. 

After nine years, Congress has yet to enact legislation that would provide a pathway to citizenship for DREAMers, despite broad, bipartisan support for a solution. At the moment, the lives of 700,000 people in this country are in the hands of one Texas judge: Andrew Hanen. The only way to protect these people, their families, and the local economy to which they have contributed for years is by passing legislation that grants them a pathway to citizenship.

We cannot rest until everything possible is done and our community can finally feel safe. I know in my heart that this country is filled with kind-hearted, compassionate people willing to stand with us and support our cause. I ask Congress to listen to these voices and work together to make it happen.

Next year, all I hope for is the celebration of one other anniversary: the day the dream of 700,000 people came true. 

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