Supporting Dreamers means supporting Biden for president

When my mother first told me about the United States, she painted a picture of opportunity. She told me, “mija, las cosas van a cambiar” — things will change for the better. That day, almost 15 years ago, I kissed my father goodbye at the airport without knowing it may be the last time I ever saw him.

My mother and I arrived in Florida from Peru in 2005 and I quickly understood our situation. While we were escaping crime and poverty in Peru, we weren’t truly “safe” in America either. Growing up undocumented meant walking around with a target on my back, hoping that no one would notice I lacked a piece of paper. It meant living in secret out of fear of deportation, but also fear of never reaching my full potential. In 10th grade, I realized that regardless of my excellent grades, extracurricular activities and community service hours, it would be nearly impossible to attend a full-time university without status. I felt defeated.

But in 2012, things changed like my mami had promised. After years of advocacy from the undocumented community, the ObamaBiden administration rolled out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, also known as DACA, which protected kids like me who, without legal status, came to the United States looking for a safe haven. DACA gave me the chance to realize my full potential without fear of reprisal or deportation. I was able to obtain a driver’s license, work and graduate from one of the top public universities in the country. A new era emerged, one filled with opportunities and hope.

When Donald Trump ran for president in 2016, he vowed to undo the Obama-Biden administration’s progress, deport people like me and my mom, and unleash fear into our immigrant community. He used immigrants as a scapegoat and fuel for xenophobic politics. As president, Trump has fulfilled those promises. He has rescinded DACA, caged migrant children at the border, executed a travel ban on Muslims, and most recently, deported 120 Cubans back to the authoritarian government they once escaped.

In its eight years, DACA has protected more than 825,000 young people just like me. During those eight years, I worked to pay my tuition out of pocket, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in STEM with some of the highest honors in my university, and landed my dream job working in digital communications. It’s a dream come true to be able to provide for my mami and the little ones in my family.

Last month’s Supreme Court decision was both monumental and life-changing for me and so many of my fellow DACA recipients. The court rejected Trump’s “capricious and arbitrary” attacks on DACA. For so many, this was the “right” decision, but for me it was personal. To say a weight has been lifted is an understatement; I feel a renewed sense of confidence, dignity and motivation to elect a new president in November.

As we move forward, we need to remember DACA was never meant to be a permanent solution, and nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants live in fear of deportation every single day. One of those 11 million is the most hardworking woman I know: My mother. We need comprehensive, humane immigration reform. In many ways, that work has just begun.

We need a leader who sees our immigrant community for what it is: resilient and a part of the American fabric. It’s imperative that we elect Joe Biden, who on day one, will send a bill to Congress outlining a clear roadmap to citizenship, while using his executive power to restore protection to undocumented youth.

As president, Biden will not just restore the progress Trump has cruelly undone, but also take action to ensure we have an immigration system inspired by respect, dignity and safety. For my fellow Floridians, I see in Vice President Biden’s plan a vision that will address some of the most important issues we’re facing. He’s promised to explore all legal protections to stop inhumane separation, protect TPS and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) holders from being returned to unsafe countries, and he will also ensure undocumented youth are eligible for federal student aid and debt-free community college, so that we are building a future America that all of us can participate and thrive in.

Immigrants are embedded in the fabric of this country. Joe Biden doesn’t just recognize that, but cherishes it. Electing Joe Biden for President of the United States is the right thing to do and will restore dignity, hope and empowerment to our immigrant community.