Ruiz De Diaz helps ‘Dreamers’ navigate political changes in US
Karina Ruiz De Diaz is executive director of the Arizona Dream Act Coalition, which advocates for legal status for "Dreamers," the estimated 650,000 young immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.
In June, the Supreme Court ruled that President Trump's administration wrongly ended the program that allowed hundreds of thousands of undocumented DACA recipients to temporarily live and work in the U.S. without deportation. That program was begun by President Obama's administration.
Ruiz De Diaz spoke with the USA TODAY Network about what that ruling has meant for her organization and the people she serves. Some answers may have been edited for length or clarity.
What issues and projects are most important right now?
During a time where DACA is constantly under attack by the Trump administration, it is important to get informed, support your local organizations and encourage those that can vote to participate civically. There is a lot of misinformation, and we have worked hard to educate families about the policy changes, application process and the finances pertaining to DACA and constant changes in legislation that affect our immigrant families.
To continue doing this work we need constant volunteers and people to vote for candidates that support DACA and policies that help immigrant communities.
If you and your group could effect one change, what would it be?
A long-term alternative to DACA that contains a pathway to citizenship nationally. Locally we would like to have access to higher education and in-state tuition for immigrant youth.
We must also work on a more systematic change that includes defunding the agencies that criminalize people of color and immigrants, like ICE and CBP.
We also want our community to be counted in the 2020 Census, and turn as many voters to the polls so we can have better leadership in Congress and our local Legislature.
Who or what inspires you in your advocacy work?
My community worked hard to raise the next generation of leaders, and accomplished that with minimum to zero resources. I made it my life mission to work toward giving back tools and resources that would continue that movement.
The youth who were left out of DACA are also a source of inspiration. I see myself reflected because I lived that struggle of not being able to have access to higher education due to my immigration status.
Looking ahead, what do you hope to see in a year? Five years?
Legislation that provides a permanent solution for all immigrants. This is something we have been fighting for over the past 20 years. I would also like to see the defunding of ICE, CBP and police to stop the criminalization of our community. Instead, invest the funds in resources that actually help us, like education and health care.
What is the core mission for you and your organization?
Our mission is to promote the educational success of immigrant youth, increase civic engagement, integrate immigrants into Arizona's economy to the fullest extent possible and advocate for immigrant rights. In addition, we strive to provide low-cost services such as DACA application help, citizenship application assistance, scholarship applications for undocumented/DACA students, deportation defense and COVID-19 relief funds and food banks.
How can someone interested in this work get involved?
Anyone who feels strongly about the immigration movement is an ally. Anyone interested in getting involved with ADAC can reach out to us on our Facebook page, facebook.com/theadac, or our website, theadac.org. On Instagram and Twitter: @theadac. Phone: 602842-3748.