Thread: DACA recipients see little reason to hope in latest proposal

DACArecipients see little reason to hope in latest proposal

By ASTRID GALVAN, Associated Press 15 hrs ago



PHOENIX — Daniel Briones has a degree in economics and a job in banking, but his future could not feel less certain.

The 30-year-old in San Marcos, Texas, is a recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program for immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children but don't have legal status here.

President Donald Trump's latest plan to reopen the federal government would extend the program's protections for another three years, but the idea is likely dead on arrival and no one knows what comes next.

Commonly referred to as "dreamers," the recipients of the Obama-era program known as DACA have spent nearly five years dealing with constant threats to the system, which changed their lives by allowing them to work legally and shielding them from deportation. It has been challenged in lawsuits and congressional legislation. Then came Trump's announcement in 2017 that he was ending it altogether, although the federal courts nixed that plan.

The fate of about 700,000 dreamers hangs in the balance, and many say they are growing weary of being pawns in every political battle over immigration.

"I think they don't really understand how we feel, or the uncertainty. They want to play back-and-forth politics and try to use us as a means for change. But at the same time, they don't feel how we are feeling," Briones said.

"It's really hard for us to be able to wake up every day and go to work every day knowing we don't know even know what's going to happen in the future," he said.

Trump proposes to extend the program for three years but only for those currently enrolled and with drastic changes that advocates regard as non-negotiable. Democrats also dismissed the offer.

A Senate GOP bill introduced last weekend would require recipients to reapply while also doubling the cost of applying. Applicants would have to prove they earn at least 125 percent of the poverty level whilein the U.S. and to pay back tax credits that they legally obtained while working. The bill would also severely restrict asylum and temporary protected status.

"The 'deal' that Trump proposed over the weekend is no deal at all. Trump created a horrific crisis, and this bill is Stephen Miller's ransom note," said Sanaa Abrar, advocacy director for United We Dream, referring to a senior Trump adviser.

For Maxima Guerrero, a Phoenix activist who has had DACA protections since 2013, the court challenges, the politics and the perpetual debate involving the program has taken an emotional toll.

"I don't only exist to hear the news about DACA," Guerrero said.

Reyna Montoya, another DACA recipient in the Phoenix area, said decisions are hard to make when the future of the program is in doubt. Montoya founded Aliento, an Arizona advocacy group that helps immigrant youths.

"Can I even plan a future? What happens to my life? Should I get married? Should I even have kids? This is the country that I love," said Montoya, 28.

Gaby Cruz, a 29-year-old community organizer in California with United We Dream, feels continuous uncertainty over her future, too. She was brought here when she was just a year old.

"It's just a constant, overwhelming need to know what's going on and the feeling of uncertainty that I have," Cruz said.

Cruz, a banker-turned-activist, was sitting at her desk at a private mortgage company in 2017 when Trump announced he was ending the program. She soon quit her job and joined United We Dream.

The deal proposed by Republicans is no bargain, she said, not just because of the way it changes DACA but because of how it would affect other immigrants, like those protected by temporary status or asylum-seekers from Central America.

"I feel like our community has been constantly under attack by this administration since 2017," Cruz said. "It's hard not to watch when it affects your daily life."

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/daca-recipients-see-little-reason-to-hope-in-latest-proposal/ar-BBSElBT

She has no thoughts about how THEIR illegal immigration affects our daily lives, our children's lives, or the effects it has in our schools, healthcare system and social services programs. The effects it has in our neighborhoods and jobs and our dreams. The effects it has on just driving safely down the road. Every city they drive in illegally is a danger to us all. Horrific car accidents, we worry about getting hit, paying the bill for it...while they run off and not pay a dime.

Every day American's wake up and want to know when this nightmare and this unrelenting invasion is going to be stopped in it's tracks and they are deported and turned away at our border.

Every day American's are sick to our stomach's at the thought that illegal aliens cost taxpayers $133 billion a year out of our wallets.

Every day American's wake up and turn on the TV and watch the swamp rats in D.C. throwing us under the bus, destroying our country, fighting like junkyard dogs over foreign citizens who do not belong on our soil.

Every day the Angel Mom's wake up crying their eyes out, distraught over the cold blooded murder of their children, who were ripped out of their arms by illegal aliens who should never have been allowed in our country and deported on the spot! This has affected their health and well being, their family has been changed forever.

Every day American's who are stuck in "sanctuary cities" are worried about the crime and effects it has on their peace and prosperity and their everyday lives. Just try going shopping, getting groceries, make a Doctor appointment. Our hospital ER's and medical facilities are overwhelmed with illegal aliens and we are forced to pay their medical bills out of our wallets.

Not one of them has said we are sorry our parents broke your laws and brought us here illegally. Not one of them has said thank you US taxpayers for spending your hard earned money to pay for my education, my free breakfast, lunch, ESL classes, welfare and food stamps and my hospital bills!

Thank you to the person whose identity I stole and I ruined your life for it. Everyday we worry about that too.

Not one has said thank you American citizens for putting up with the illegal alien criminals and gangs who pour over your border each and every hour of every day and commit crimes, bring drugs, gangs, rape and murder American's. Thank you for paying for criminal trespassing illegal aliens court costs, lawyers, jails, prisons and lawsuits out of your American pockets.

Thank you for allowing illegal aliens to move into your neighborhoods, trash them, commit crimes, theft and destroy them.

These ungrateful selfish people only think of themselves.

They are here illegally, this is not their country and Trump is not their President.

They have jobs, education, degrees. How about plan your own future, sell out, pack up and go home and protest for change and a better life in YOUR country.

We owe criminal trespassing illegal aliens nothing...whether they came here 30 years ago or 30 seconds ago.

They owe it to themselves, their children, their grandchildren to go home and fight for change on their soil.

We have had enough of this invasion and we want them to take the "path" to go back home.

We welcome legal immigration...go home and get in line like 2 billion people on the planet dreaming of coming here. And no, we cannot take them all. And we want those numbers drastically reduced and Congress clean this mess up and ramp up deportations.

OUR COUNTRY HAS BEEN UNDER CONSTANT ATTACK BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION FOR OVER 50 YEARS MS. CRUZ!

IT IS HARD FOR AMERICAN'S TO WATCH WHEN IT AFFECTS OUR DAILY LIVES MS. CRUZ!

MS. CRUZ YOU HAVE NO SAY, YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN DEPORTED TWO DECADES AGO.

MS. CRUZ...GO OPEN AN "UNITED WE DREAM" ORGANIZATION BACK IN YOUR COUNTRY.

We need to make the point that many of these daca people are frauds. How can you do background checks on people using stolen IDs?. Obama just took their word.

The corrupt press says the dreamers are illegals brought here by their parents but they never have evidence for that.

Originally Posted by Beezer

They have jobs, education, degrees. How about plan your own future, sell out, pack up and go home and protest for change and a better life in YOUR country.

Few dreamers have jobs or education. Like all illegals their "dream" is to go on welfare and live off the hated white men.