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For nine years, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, or DACA, has protected people illegally brought to the U.S. as children.

Sunflower Community Action, a nonprofit in Wichita that fights for racial and economic equity, is hosting a DACA Cumple 9, or DACA Turns 9, celebration on Tuesday. It will be nine years to the date that former President Barack Obama signed DACA into law in 2012.

From 4 to 7 p.m., people can come to the Evergreen Recreational Center and enjoy music, food, games and Latin dancing.

However, Yeni Telles, the community organizer for Sunflower, says theres more to the event than just a celebration.

We also want to bring awareness to the community of the need of the passage of the Dream and Promise Act, which is at the Senate at this moment, Telles said. And we just need the support of the community, the state and our leaders.

The Dream and Promise Act would provide steps for Dreamers to become citizens. Under DACA, Dreamers have no such path. They have to renew their credentials every two years.

Esmeralda Tovar-Mora is a Dreamer in Hutchinson. She says she arrived in the U.S. when she was 18 months old. Now, she works as a case manager at a mental health center. She says her fourth DACA renewal is coming up this year.

The Trump administration suspended DACA, and no one could apply for or renew their protection. President Joe Biden has since revived it.

Obviously, the past four years have made it really clear just how tenuous those protections are, Tovar-Mora said. It's always in the back of your mind.

It's a weight that you always carry on your shoulders. And I feel like I need a chiropractor from that.

The instability is why Tovar-Mora stresses the need for legislation leading to citizenship for Dreamers and immigration reform for all migrants. Both Tovar-Mora and Telles said they want the community to see immigrants as humans first and to let compassion guide the way toward that reform.

Personally, growing up, if I didn't tell you, nobody knew the difference, Tovar-Mora said. I walked like them, I talked like them, I pledged allegiance to the flag like they did. There was nothing different about me other than the color of my skin.

Now, Tovar-Mora enjoys recreating Gordon Ramsay recipes especially burgers with her husband. She likes to collect vinyl records and take her nearly 5-year-old daughter to activities like gymnastics and dance.

If the Dream and Promise Act does not pass, she says one of her last resorts will be to have her husband petition for her citizenship.

The only reason why I hesitated is because I know how grueling this process is for myself, Tovar-Mora said. I don't want to put him through that.

For now, Sunflower is continuing to help people in Kansas sign up for DACA protections. At the DACA Turns 9 event, anyone wanting to renew their DACA credentials or apply for the first time can participate in a workshop and receive help from an attorney.

The first 10 people to register will receive $200 to help with application fees.

For Telles, just learning to appreciate the culture is a large part of immigration reform. She recalled a conversation with a friend who visited Colombia. He adored the culture there.

And I said, How will be the United States without the diversity of immigrants? Telles said. You don't have to go to Mexico to see the dances that we're going to be bringing, you don't have to go somewhere else to eat the food. It's here in our community. And this is brought by immigrants.

For more information about Daca Turns 9, visit Sunflower Community Actions Facebook page.

Katelynn McIlwain is KMUW's Korva Coleman Diversity in Journalism intern. She will be a senior this fall at the University of Missouri.

See the article here:
Wichita 'Dreamers' To Mark 9th Anniversary Of DACA - KMUW

There are many undocumented residents in the United States who have been paying taxes for over 20 years. I know one undocumented family who has been living in the USA for over 29 years paying taxes as a voiceless people group.

Some might be smuggled to the United States due to the gang violence, poverty, and corrupted social system in their country. Some have become undocumented even though they entered the country legally and earned an academic degree. They were unable to find work or the company that employed them didnt have enough business to be able to sponsor them.

This situation leads many white-collar, undocumented people to become voiceless, right-less and helpless people in our country.

Id like to appeal for the reformation of immigration laws. Currently, our immigration reform is focused on the Dream Act. That is surely a win/win situation.

But there are people who came to the United States in their thirties and paid their taxes faithfully. Many are now in their sixties and wouldnt benefit from the Dream Act, even though they have spent their whole lives in America as faithful taxpayers.

I propose anyone who has lived in the United States longer than 15 years and has proof of paying taxes should be granted an immediate, permanent Visa to allow them to remain in this country.

There also are many children who have been suffering from their parents cancellation of their adoption. If adopted parents did not pursue their childs citizenship status, he or she becomes an international orphan. Some of these adult children even ended their lives because they couldnt find any place to call home.

For this reason, I believe the adopted childs application for citizenship should be mandated at the international airport when they first arrive in the United States.

Sarah H Kim is pastor of the Nittany/ Sugar Valley Charge in Loganton, Pa.

More here:
We need immigration reform to help people who have lived in this country and paid taxes for decades | PennLiv - pennlive.com

Years ago, immigration talks between President George W. Bush and Vicente Fox, then the president of Mexico, went on for too long, and after the attacks of Sept. 11, any hope of reaching an agreement was shattered. President Barack Obama failed to introduce his immigration reform proposal in 2009, when his party controlled both chambers of Congress and the country was facing a severe financial crisis; later, he didnt have enough votes to pass it. President Biden shouldnt take these kinds of risks. He should hurry.

To demonstrate that the issue is important to him, Mr. Biden recently met with a group of Dreamers at the White House. The meeting was extraordinary in and of itself. These young people were brought into the United States by their parents illegally, and are exempted from deportation through the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals program. A meeting like this during the Trump era would have been unthinkable.

Mara Praeli, 28, is one of the Dreamers who met with Mr. Biden. She was 5 years old when she was brought to the United States from Peru. The United States is my home, she told me. Feeling so American, having so many memories in this country, and yet not knowing if I will be able to make a future for myself here is really hard. I just hope this is the year something happens.

One of Mr. Bidens first acts upon taking office was sending a comprehensive immigration proposal to Congress. And according to a Quinnipiac University poll published in February, most Americans support a pathway to citizenship for the undocumented. But this proposal and similar bills remain stuck on Capitol Hill.

Democrats still lack the votes to overturn the current Senate rules, which effectively require proponents of most bills to muster 60-vote supermajorities to advance them. The only way out is to end the minority partys power to stall legislation the filibuster and pass very concrete laws for the benefit of Dreamers and migrant farm workers through a procedural budget shortcut called reconciliation. Both issues are politically aggressive and would face huge Republican opposition. But its about time we made radical decisions to protect the lives of millions of immigrants like Mara.

President Biden, the clock is ticking. Please dont wait much longer. We cant afford to repeat the mistakes of the past.

Jorge Ramos (@jorgeramosnews) is an anchor for the Univision network, a contributing opinion writer and the author of, most recently, Stranger: The Challenge of a Latino Immigrant in the Trump Era.

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Opinion | President Biden, the Clock Is Ticking to Rescind a Trump Immigration Policy - The New York Times

WASHINGTON U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX)s Bipartisan Border Solutions Act, the only bipartisan, bicameral legislation to respond to the surge in migrants coming across our southern border, has garnered support from immigration groups, elected officials, and business organizations. You can learn more about this legislation here.

National Border Patrol Council: It will target resources to those of us directly responding to the increase of migrants, so that we can better do our jobs and keep American border communities safe. We appreciate their strong engagement with the border region and their firsthand knowledge of the current immigration crisis, and this bill will give us the resources to tackle todays influx head-on. (President Brandon Judd, Letter, 4/27/2021)

U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce: We need immigration reform that provides immigrants and asylum seeker with a process that is equitable and fair for all. The Bipartisan Border Solutions Act of 2021 will address our overwhelmed asylum-seeking process through additional resources to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) personnel, and more support for local governments in border communities. (USHCC President and CEO Ramiro A. Cavazos, Statement, 5/18/21)

Texas Border Coalition: Your legislation is an important step toward addressing this growing problem with adequately resourced immigration courts, smart border enforcement, common-sense immigration reform and support for local border communities that provide humanitarian assistance to migrants. (Texas Border Coalition, Letter, 5/18/21)

Rio Grande Valley Partnership: The RGV Partnership applauds the bipartisan efforts from lawmakers in both chambers to advance the Bipartisan Border Solutions Act of 2021. (President/CEO Sergio Contreras, Letter, 5/18/2021)

South Texans Property Rights Association: This legislation, if passed, would help by bringing the much needed resources to adjudicate asylum seekers at the southern border. Additionally, the bill would help streamline the current asylum system backlog, and more importantly the bill would expand the scope of well-being checks to ensure UAC are not being exploited by human and drug smugglers. (Statement, 5/19/21)

Border Trade Alliance: We believe strongly that your bill will better equip DHS and the Department of Justice to efficiently and properly manage the flow of migrants in a manner that treats migrants fairly, reduces the strain on local community resources, and maintains normal port of entry operations. We are especially encouraged that your legislation will allow DHS and DOJ increased hiring authority to ensure that frontline DHS personnel can continue to carry out their critically important agency mission. (Chair Sergio Contreras and President Britton Mullen, Letter, 5/20/21)

Luis Sifuentes, Mayor of Eagle Pass, Texas: As Mayor of the City of Eagle Pass, I would like to extend my full support this program will certainly attest to the urgency that small communities along the U.S.-Mexico border are experiencing on a daily basis. (Mayor Sifuentes, Letter, 4/26/21)

Southwest Border Sheriffs Coalition and Texas Border Sheriffs Coalition: Their Bipartisan Border Solutions Act does something no one else has: it brings together solutions from both parties to address our current border crisis now. Thank you to Sen. Cornyn, Sen. Sinema, and Reps. Cuellar and Gonzales in the House, for accommodating law enforcement with resources to combat this crisis. (Statements, 5/19/21)

Major Cities Chiefs Association: The MCCA commends you for eschewing politics and working together in a bipartisan manner to ensure our country can better address these challenges Several provisions in the Bipartisan Border Solutions Act will improve the ability of the federal government to respond to migrant surges at the border. (Chief Art Acevedo, Letter, 4/26/21)

National Association of Evangelicals: Your bill is an important first step toward a bipartisan solution to other issues and challenges In a polarized political context, you both deserve much credit for working together across partisan lines to serve our nation. (President Walter Kim and Vice President for Government Relations Galen Carey, Letter, 4/21/21)

Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission: Your efforts provide hope that the reforms that will promote human flourishing through greater security and efficiency in our immigration system are indeed possible. (President Russell Moore, Letter, 4/30/21)

Niskanen Center: Not only does this bill pose necessary and pragmatic changes advocated by Niskanen for years, but it also demonstrates the ability of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to work together to advance immigration reform. With such broad support, there is no reason to delay enacting this bill. (Vice President of Policy and Director of Immigration Kristie De Pea, Statement, 4/23/21)

U.S. Chamber of Commerce: These types of provisions are not only necessary to confront the ongoing crisis on our southern border, but they also need to be considered by Congress as they debate other immigration issues where reform is desperately needed. (EVP and Chief Policy Officer Neil Bradley, Press Release, 4/22/21)

National Immigration Forum: This is a positive step that bodes well for the chances for immigration reforms this year. We commend Senators Cornyn and Sinema for working across party lines to introduce a bill that addresses current challenges at the U.S.-Mexico border. (President and CEO Ali Noorani, Statement, 4/22/21)

American Business Immigration Coalition: A serious bipartisan effort to address the challenges at our nations borders The ball is moving forward, progress is being made, and we celebrate these both senators for working together. (ABIC Co-Chairs, Statement, 4/23/21)

Texas Association of Business: TAB applauds Senator Cornyn and Senator Sinema's bipartisan border bill. We need a border that is safe, orderly and secure and we need to move forward on sensible bipartisan immigration solutions (TAB, Tweet, 4/23/21)

New American Economy: This immigration bill from Senator Cornyn and Senator Sinema shows bipartisan solutions on this issue are possible. We hope the Senate will work to advance this legislation alongside other bipartisan bills on needed protections. (Executive Director Jeremy Robbins, Tweet, 4/23/21)

The LIBRE Initiative/Americans for Prosperity: Border states like Texas have had to improvise and adapt to address the weight of an immigration system in dire need of reform. We commend these lawmakers for introducing this bipartisan and bicameral legislation that will go a long way towards addressing the situation at the border. (Coalitions Director Jorge Martinez and Americans for Prosperity Texas State Director Genevieve Collins, Statement, 4/22/21)

Read more from the original source:
What They're Saying: Cornyn's Bipartisan Border Solutions Act - Senator John Cornyn

To know the journey of Antonio Marquez all he has accomplished to graduate from college and the promise his future holds would make it hard to deny him the right to become an American citizen.

Antonios dream was to become a broadcast journalist and draw attention to the value of immigrants. He did well in high school and community college. During his long journey, he picked fruit in rural Washington state, worked at McDonalds, and cleaned bathrooms while working for enough credit and the grades needed to get into San Diego State University, where I serve as president.

Antonio, now 34, is one of more than 800,000 people brought to the United States as a child by parents or other family members without legal documentation.

Congress first discussed protecting people like Antonio in 2001, when the initial version of the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors legislation, DREAM for short, was introduced.

At least 11 versions of the bill surfaced over the past 20 years, but none have passed. In 2012, President Obama gave Dreamers like Antonio partial relief by establishing the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program, or DACA, by executive order.

Obey the law, stay in school or enlist in the military and DACA participants could work, study and pursue their dream of a better life in America without worrying about deportation.

Antonio graduated last month with a degree in journalism. In the fall, he begins a graduate program in liberal arts and sciences. In 2017, the last time a national survey of Dreamers was done, 91 percent were employed, and half were in school. The same year as the survey, then-President TrumpDonald TrumpTrump touts record, blasts Dems in return to stage Trump demands China pay 'reparations' for role in coronavirus pandemic Trump endorses Rep. Ted Budd for Senate MORE moved to end DACA in his crackdown of undocumented immigrants.

In the Southwest, this visceral feeling of fear of deportation is not new in many Latino communities where inequities in our immigration system can tear families apart at a moments notice. I still feel this fear today and can imagine the fear of our students. I need only to look back at the experience of witnessing my own Mexican immigrant grandmother being taken away to be interrogated by immigration officers about her legal status after we returned from visiting relatives in Mexico after a brief trip. Despite living in the United States for over 50 years, sending her only son to fight in WWII, raising two daughters as a single working parent, and raising my sister and I, her brown skin, accented English, and a faded green card were enough to threaten us with her deportation. Although my experience was decades ago, we must stop this cruel fear and recognize the true value and contribution of these students and families.

DACA is again being debated in Congress. Biden has also called for comprehensive immigration reform. But even with the vast majority of Americans in favor of protecting DACA and bipartisan support, its future remains uncertain.

If the fate of DACA participants remains tied to the prospects of comprehensive immigration reform winning approval in our volatile political climate, people like Antonio will remain at risk. At the same time, children who have never known DACA or even had the opportunity to become Dreamers are starting and finishing high school, applying to colleges, and trying to sustain jobs and careers with even less security.

Thats why Congress should consider DACA apart from broader reform measures and finally give Dreamers the path to American citizenship they have earned.

Incremental progress is not always valued in politics. I understand the desire for a big immigration fix, and what some see as the strategic imperative to tie DACA and Dreamers to some larger reform. But if we continue to insist on bold political wins or nothing, we are likely to again get nothing in return.

We cant allow another generation of American children in all but name to continue to graduate, work and succeed among their peers while still looking over their shoulders for immigration agents as Congress remains paralyzed by partisan political warfare. Take the incremental step of solving the DACA stalemate and give our Dreamers the peace of mind.

Adela de la Torre is the president of San Diego State University.

The rest is here:
It's beyond time to protect DACA | TheHill - The Hill