Lindsay council approves DACA resolution
Residents speak in favor of the action
The Lindsay City Council approved Tuesday a resolution of support for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
DACA is a program established in 2012 granting work permits and temporary protection from deportation to approximately 698,800 youth who came to the United States before age 16, City Manager Bill Zigler said. In July 2017, legislation was introduced in both the House of Representatives (H.R. 3440) and Senate (S. 1615) to address DACA policy, known as the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act. In September 2017, Congress was given a sixmonth period to consider legislative alternatives and solutions. He said it has been requested that the Lindsay City Council consider adopting a Resolution of Support of DACA, including the DREAM Act of 2017.
At the last council meeting on Feb. 27, Councilmember Laura Cortes requested that the council consider adopting a resolution in support of DACA as a scheduled matter at its meeting on March 13.
“I wanted to bring this topic to light because it is very important not only to me personally, but to our community,” said Cortes, whose parents came into the U.S. undocumented. “Nowadays, with all that is occurring with all of the deportations and raids that we currently see on a daily basis, there’s a lot of fear in some of our community members, and that is why I thought if we bring this to the table and if we are successful in passing a resolution, we are demonstrating to our community that we stand by them.”
Benny Corona, who was born and raised in Lindsay, said it is important to support “these young immigrants who are the DACA beneficiaries.”
“Not only are they in my community, but a lot of them are my friends and my family,” said Corona.
Daniel Penaloza, a representative for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), a statewide organization with national presence to advocate for immigrant rights, said he works directly with DACA beneficiaries and has helped thousands to apply. Even though DACA is a federal issue, Penaloza said local council members are able to use their voice on the critical issue to help local DACA recipients feel safe in their communities.
“Voting in favor of this DACA resolution would signal to community residents that have DACA that this council in the City of Lindsay supports DACA students and those that have DACA,” Penaloza said.
Vivian Franco, a retired educator who has worked in higher education for over 40 years, said as an administrator she worked diligently to make sure that all students were treated equitably and that all students had an opportunity to get an education.
“And I will tell you as a city council that you will not find a more exemplary group of individuals than those who have been here and have participated in the DACA program,” Franco said. “This is not just an education issue, it is not just a social justice issue, it is a moral issue, and even though the laws reside at the federal level, community support and support from bodies such as local city councils truly mean a lot.”
Perla Soria, a Lindsay Unified School Board member representing Area 4, said in a written statement that it is important to recognize and support the community who face an uncertain future.
“In the Fall of 2017, the Lindsay school board took on a similar discussion, and we concluded that we wanted to ensure our community knew that we supported them in this difficult time of uncertainty,” Soria said. “I urge you [Lindsay City Council] to also stand behind our/your neighbors and community by sending a strong message for DACA support, by passing a resolution and communicating to our state representatives to find a comprehensive immigration solution that will benefit and empower our community.”
Porterville resident Raul Garcia said DACA recipients already contribute to society by paying taxes, abiding by laws, going to school, serving in the military and working hard in the workforce, and believes they should be given the opportunity to continue contributing.
“I say let’s encourage them to stay in our communities, and let’s encourage them to continue being productive members of our society,” Garcia said.
Exeter resident Jose Torres said the fact that the current presidential administration is not doing anything to protect DACA recipients is “immoral.”
“Not just immoral, it is dumb, it is really just moronic because if you actually went through and deported these people then you would hurt the economy and you would hurt our communities,” Torres said.
Angel Garcia, the chair of the Coalition Advocating for Pesticide Safety (CAPS), a coalition of Tulare County organizations advocating for healthier communities in California’s Central Valley, said even though passing the resolution doesn’t “really carry any weight,” he said it is symbolic and can send a very strong message.
“I urge the council members here that you guys pass this resolution as a way of showing our community, our DACA recipients, that we are in solidarity with them,” Garcia said.
Andrew Corona, an eighth-grader at Roosevelt Elementary in Lindsay, said he hopes the city council supports DACA because he doesn’t want “young immigrants to live like the people in Mexico.”
“Life is very hard over there and I don’t think they deserve to be deported,” Corona said.
Vincent Salinas, the chairman of the Latino Political Action Committee of Tulare County, said the council’s support of DACA will help 3,000 DACA residents in Tulare County.
“Let’s help them reach their American dream,” Salinas said.
Lindsay resident Eric Sinclair said he is not for the resolution to support DACA because he believes it will put the nation’s safety in jeopardy.
“If you are undocumented, get documented,” Sinclair said. There’s other people in different countries coming into these United States of America and using avenues, using loopholes like this and they come in, they destroy and then they leave and we have no documentation about it.”
Nevertheless, Councilmember Esteban Velasquez said he understands what DACA recipients are going through as both his mom and his brother entered the country undocumented.
“Sometimes I feel like people see us up here and they think that we don’t get it,” Velasquez said. “I did work in the fields for years, I grew up poor, I grew up in a household of 13. My home in Cutler was almost like a home of refuge for a lot of immigrants. My parents would help them and open the door for them. So I get it.”