At gathering, a call for protection of local undocumented immigrants

Hugo Chable-Lara was just 10 years old when he came to the U.S. with his parents in 2005 as an undocumented immigrant.

For four nights, he slept in the desert, where he said he heard animal noises “and you would not know where they were coming from.”

More than a decade later, he’s a high-school graduate planning to attend college. But all that is on hold as Congress decides what to do with Dreamers such as ChableLara, who came from Mexico.

President Donald Trump asked Congress to come up with a solution for the Dream Act, which provides a path to citizenship for young undocumented immigrants. If lawmakers don’t do anything, the program will expire in March and more than 800,000 Dreamers will face deportation.

Chable-Lara shared his story Wednesday evening during an event called “60 Seconds in My Shoes” at Hope Community Center on Mills Avenue in Orlando.

Those gathered called for Congress to extend the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. DACA started being phased out in September.

Immigrant-rights groups also want Orlando leaders to pass the Trust Act, which would prohibit local police agencies from working with immigration officials.

“When DACA ended, fears struck again,” Chable-Lara said. “Now more than ever, I need to protect my family and community. The Trust Act will allow my family to be safe in the city of Orlando.”

At the community center, several portraits of community members and elected leaders such as Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan were on display in the form of a mural to show unity.

Juana Lozano, 38, of Apopka, came to the U.S. as an undocumented immigrant several years ago and has two children who are citizens.

“When I arrived at this country, I came with a dream,” she said through an interpreter. “But I didn’t expect that dream to come down because of the discrimination we are experiencing every day. We are working people who deserve to be respected with dignity.”