Dreamers need certainty to write their own story

inspiring young adults on their own journeys.

Unlike my parents, who chose freely to come to the United States, these Dreamers were brought here with no say in the matter.

But they remind me so much of what I imagine my parents were like when they first arrived. The undeniable energy, passion and enthusiastic spirit of the first-generation American is such a critical source of energy for our culture, economy and country.

They also remind me of my sisters and me when we were growing up — struggling to embrace two sets of traditions and, in the process of overcoming cultural barriers, acquiring the ability to connect with other Americans of all backgrounds.

But unlike my parents, my sisters and me, these Dreamers live in the shadow of uncertainty.

Even though they had no say in their immigration to the United States, they daily face the potential repercussions of that act — the ever-present possibility that they could be deported to an ancestral homeland they do not know. The only homeland they do know must ensure that does not happen.

As Americans, we must remove the uncertainty that hangs over the Dreamers as a result of policymakers’ failures to address our broken immigration system.

Six years ago, President Barack Obama went around Congress and unilaterally established the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which allowed some immigrants to avoid deportation and get renewable two-year work permits. In September 2017, President Donald Trump announced he would end the program in six months if Congress didn’t act on the issue.

Congress failed to act, and with the legality of President Obama’s action an open question, the courts did. Multiple lawsuits challenging both Obama’s creation of DACA and Trump’s ending of it have created more confusion than clarity.

Caught in the middle are the Dreamers, pawns in a political game and legal fight with no end in sight.

This debate needs to leave the courtroom and get back to Capitol Hill, where the elected representatives of the people, working with the president, can put the people’s will into action.

And there is little doubt about what that will is. More than 60 percent of Americans strongly support letting Dreamers legally remain in the United States; more than 90 percent believe it is important for Congress to pass legislation addressing their status.

The outlines of a deal have been clear for months — full funding for a border wall paired with an earned path to permanent legal residence or citizenship for Dreamers.

Once that is done and the Dreamers can come out from under the cloud of uncertainty, I believe the energy unleashed by these new Americans will astonish the few remaining doubters.

Of course, there is no certainty that the Dreamers I met this summer will enjoy the same success as my parents. America’s promise is one of opportunity, not outcome. But that is life’s great wager: to take a chance, to do something bold, to become self-actualized, and realize your greatest potential. I am a betting man, and I know these Dreamers are worth it.