LOS ANGELES -- Diana Bautista Lopez, an 18-year-old CHIRLA member from Los Angeles, today told her story of being twice denied the chance to apply for DACA directly to Vice-President Kamala Harris during a high-level meeting with immigrant leaders, including CHIRLA Executive Director Angelica Salas.
Diana first missed the chance to apply for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in 2017, when President Trump ended the program just more than a month before she could qualify. Now, at 18, her new application was denied because of the decision last Friday by U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen, who invalidated the program and determined that new applications not approved by that date would be denied.
"My family has lived in the U.S. for 17 years, not in the shadows but unprotected," Diana said. "We keep getting let down, again and again. As immigrants and essential workers, we have kept this economy going through a pandemic. I have done my part. I have showed up for my community; my parents have showed up for this country; they have paid their taxes. They have contributed in countless ways.
"I just want Congress to show up for me. Congress has the power to pass immigration reform by including a path to citizenship in the reconciliation process, for example. This IS possible. It CAN be done. It needs to be done NOW."
Ms. Salas also spoke at the meeting:
"Immigrant communities have waited for far too long for congress to do the right thing," Ms. Salas said. "We have heard far too many excuses throughout the years from both parties as to why it cannot get done.
"Today, we are at an important crossroads. We have leadership in the White House to get it done. We have the American public who overwhelmingly supports decisive, humane and permanent action on immigration. And we have an organized, energized, and focused movement ready to press for what we believe in. We urge Congress to use all the power they have to forge, after all this delay, a fair, accessible pathway to citizenship for our communities.”