By Griselda
Nevarez
Tuesday, May
19th was supposed to be the day when undocumented parents of U.S. citizens or
legal permanent residents could begin applying for temporary deportation relief
and work authorization under a new deferred action program, but instead there
will be rallies across the country denouncing a ruling that temporarily blocked
the program.
"Millions
of immigrants had hoped that today would be the day they could come out of the
shadows and put the fear of deportation behind them," said labor leader
Rocio Saenz, executive vice president of SEIU International. "That's not happening
now."
President
Barack Obama announced the federal program known as Deferred
Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents, or
DAPA, in November as part of his executive actions on immigration. But the
program was put on hold after a federal judge in Texas issued a temporary
injunction in February, leaving many potential applicants in limbo.
Saenz said
there's "disappointment" among many immigrants who were ready to
apply for DAPA. That includes Ehiracenia Vazquez, a 30-year-old mother of two
U.S. citizen children who lives in Texas.
"I have
all my documents ready to apply," Vazquez said. "I have personal
documents, like my birth certificate and my passport. I have documents that
prove I've been here for more than 10 years. I also have the documents of my
children, like their birth certificates and passports, and receipts to prove I
paid property taxes on the trailer home where we used to live."
Vazquez, a
native of Mexico who has been living in Texas for 12 years, is among the nearly
4 million undocumented immigrants who meet all the requirements of the DAPA
program. She is also one of the dozens of immigration advocates who will march
to Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's residence in Austin on Tuesday to push
back against the lawsuit he filed in December, which led to the immigration
executive actions being put on hold.
The march is
among the more than 30 events that will be held across the country as part of a
national day of action to push for the implementation of DAPA.
Vazquez said
she wants Abbott to meet with her and other potential DAPA beneficiaries so
that he can hear their stories and "know what we're facing as undocumented
people."
Oscar
Hernandez, lead field organizer of United We Dream's Own the Dream program, will also attend the
march. The 27-year-old Dreamer came to the U.S. from Mexico when he was 2 years
old. He's one of the thousands of young immigrants who have been granted deportation
reprieve and a work permit under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
program, which Obama announced in 2012.
Hernandez said
one of the purposes of the march is to challenge Abbott's argument that Texas
would be irreparably harmed by Obama's executive actions on immigration, which
also include expanding the DACA program. He said the DACA program has allowed
undocumented youth to work and contribute to the economy, and is a good
indicator of how the DAPA program would work.
"Our
intention is to show that DACA is working right now and that we know DAPA and
the expansion of DACA will also work," he said.
Meanwhile,
Saenz said the day of action is also meant to warn Republicans about the
consequences they could face in the 2016 election if they oppose Obama's
immigration actions. Last week 113 Republicans, including several presidential
candidates, signed onto an amicus brief supporting the lawsuit against Obama's
immigration actions.
"Republicans
are making it very clear that there is no room for Latinos and immigrant
families under their tent," said Saenz.
Entire article first published May 19th 2015, 3:02 am