Futures & pasts
Ending DACA would crush hopes, hurt economy
“Why should I go to college if my future is cleaning houses?” Adriana, a South Valley Academy student at the top of her class, had figured out a simple truth: Without a way to obtain permanent residency, she would forever be in the shadows of the U.S. economic system.
When Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) was authorized by the Obama administration in 2012, a quiet sigh of relief could be heard throughout the hallways of South Valley Academy. It was a weight off the shoulders of our numerous undocumented students who had arrived in the United States as children. They now had a chance at the American Dream, and the opportunity to contribute to this nation’s success.
South Valley Academy graduates who are DACA recipients are employed as social workers, accountants, community advocates, engineers and as work-study students across Albuquerque. Because of DACA our alums and students can legally work, contribute more fully to state and federal revenue, and provide toward the economic security of their families without fear.
Our nation invests millions of public dollars educating our children. As a country, we understand that prosperity depends on every individual’s skills and energy to grow our country’s economy. This past year, 85 percent of South Valley Academy students graduated from high school, and of those who graduated, 97 percent enrolled in college. I believe what fuels our students is hope, and for our undocumented students, an important component of that hope comes from DACA. I urged Adriana and our other DACA recipients to finish high school and go to college. She earned her undergraduate degree in psychology and recently completed her master’s of social work. She is a contributing, respected member of our community, as are the many other DACA recipients who have graduated from South Valley Academy over the years.
The Center for American Progress recently estimated that “if DACA workers were to lose their work permits and jobs, the cumulative U.S. gross domestic product would be reduced by $433.4 billion over the following 10 years. Each state’s economy would also be negatively affected by the loss of workers, as DACA recipients are spread out across the country.” In New Mexico, approximately 7,000 young immigrants are DACA recipients, and of these, nearly 90 percent are gainfully employed. Projections from the Center for American Progress show that New Mexico — with an estimated 5,785 DACA workers — would suffer a GDP loss of $375 million annually if it were to lose these workers. As a country, rescinding this executive order tears apart dreams, threatens our country’s economic future and mangles the social fabric of communities like ours.
At (a recent) rally at Albuquerque’s Civic Plaza, I saw Adriana wearing her white high school graduation robe, with her bilingual, honor, and service cords. She held a sign with a Mexican proverb, “They tried to bury us. They didn’t know we were seeds.” She represents the seeds of prosperity for our country. I urge our national representatives to take swift action. Make DACA a permanent law in order to fully realize the social and economic contributions young immigrants can make to the United States.
Julie Radoslovich was raised in Albuquerque’s South Valley, has worked as a public school educator for nearly 20 years and is the leader of Albuquerque Interfaith.