For Dreamers, their future is on the ballot this November

Watching North Carolinians cast their votes in the Democratic primary this week was deeply moving for me. As one of our state’s almost 38,000 young Dreamers, I know just how much is at stake as we prepare for this November’s presidential election. Everything I have, including the right to live and work in this country, was made possible by President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protects young immigrants like me from deportation. Now, President Trump is seeking to scrap DACA, and with the Supreme Court weighing the program’s future, all I have could soon be snatched away.

I was 5 months old when my parents fled Colombia’s civil war and sought safe haven in America. They weren’t much more than teenagers, but they worked hard and found success. My dad works in construction here in North Carolina, and my mom became the manager of a local supermarket. They taught me to work hard, too. I didn’t speak much English when I started school, and I was bullied because of my accent and the color of my skin. My parents loved me deeply, but they made it clear that I had no leeway to make mistakes or get in trouble. I followed their example: toughened up, kept my head down and focused on my education. Over time, I made close friends and came to feel every bit as American as they did.

When DACA launched in 2012, it gave my family fresh hope for the future. I was able to get a driver’s license, which allowed me to take on more responsibility. I drove my parents to their jobs, applied for legal work in fast-food restaurants and funneled my earnings back to my family, including my American-born sister. According to New American Economy, almost 2.5 million U.S. citizens share households with at least one DACA-eligible immigrant, and it’s hard to understate the economic and emotional damage that revoking the program would do to young citizens like my sister.

Of course, DACA didn’t solve all my problems. In my last year of high school, I was accepted by two highly competitive universities-- NYU and Chapel Hill — only to discover that as an undocumented immigrant, I didn’t qualify for federal loans or financial aid. After all my hard work, we simply didn’t have the money to cover tuition. Watching my friends head off to college while I headed to my job at Chick-fil-A was incredibly difficult. This was around the time that Trump was on the news calling Hispanic immigrants criminals and rapists. I felt lost, directionless, and rejected by the country I loved.

Still, my mom wouldn’t let me spiral into depression. “Life will go on with or without you,” she told me. “If you dwell on the past, you’ll just be forgotten.” She borrowed $10,000 from a relative to pay for a year of out-of-state tuition at our local community college. Inspired by her support and optimism, I threw myself into my studies. I refused to give up on my dream of attending a 4-year college, and eventually I managed to win a scholarship for undocumented immigrants. I’m now a political science major at Queens University, and when I graduate this summer I plan to get a master’s degree in business or public policy.

As a Dreamer, my ambition and drive is not unique. More than four fifths of DACA-eligible immigrants have taken at least one college course, and over 90% of us are gainfully employed. Collectively, according to New American Economy, we earn almost $20 billion a year, and pay $3 billion a year in federal, state, and local taxes. The more we’re given a chance to contribute, the more we boost the economy and help our communities.

I certainly want to keep making a contribution. Eventually, I’d like to be a legislative aide for the Congressional Hispanic caucus. As a Dreamer, I’ve seen first-hand the difference that government policies make in people’s lives. My professional mission is contribute to that effort and help make our country stronger and fairer for everyone.

Though I can’t vote in November, I’m doing as much as I can to help: I’m a leader in North Carolina’s College Democrats, and a volunteer with the Democratic National Committee. Later this year I’ll work as a field organizer, registering voters and doing my best to elect a president we can all be proud of.

I’m doing this work because I love America and want to do everything I can to make it the best that it can be. That’s my American dream. I hope that as people cast their votes in November they’ll remember my story, and support candidates who will work to give Dreamers like me a chance at a stable future, here in the country that we love.