Dreamers denied

Aholiday season for America remains a season of doubt for 800,000 Dreamers — noncitizens brought to this country as children protected against deportation by an executive reprieve effectively ended by President Trump. Multiple promises made and multiple promises broken to replace Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals with a new program have brought Congress no closer to ending the Dreamers’ arduous limbo. And so, while trying mightily to stay focused on school, and jobs, and family, the Dreamers keep one wary eye on the calendar watching the days pass toward the expiration of their twoyear protected terms.

Word that the White House and congressional leaders are negotiating a January vote rings hollow to young Americans whose hopes have been so often stoked only to be cruelly dashed.

It was a year ago that Trump told these lawabiding individuals who came to America as children that they had “nothing to worry about” — only to renege in September by signing an executive order ending DACA.

As of March 6, no one currently protected will be able to renew — and even now, thousands have seen their status lapse because of paperwork error or post office negligence.

And again: Trump seemingly promised a deal with Democratic congressional leaders to fix DACA in exchange for enhanced border security — then reversed amid Republican pushback.

The games continue: Sen. Jeff Flake, Republican of Arizona, symbolically conditioned his support for the GOP tax bill just passed on “permanent protections for DACA recipients.”

Likewise Sen. Chuck Schumer and fellow Democrats repeatedly vowed to tie support of end-of-year government funding to a DACA fix. In the end, 18 caved for a DACA-less spending bill that runs through January to avoid a government shutdown.

The never-ending theatrics only deepen the anguish felt by Dreamers who deserve better.