DACA might be over, but the fight is still on

Hello all,

I know all of us are feeling devastated, crushed, disillusioned, you name it. I am right there with you. Like all of you, DACA changed my life. I was able to finish school, get a job I could finally be proud of, and live like a normal human being. My life depended on DACA, and now it’s only a short matter of time before it gets taken away. It’s heartbreaking.

But please remember that you are not alone. This is happening to all of us, even those who never had DACA. Trump is happening to all of us. And not just the Dreamers, but all 11 Million of us without status.

I was in the live chat last night on Discord, and it was filled with a lot of us commiserating with each other about what has happened, and what the future will hold. There is nothing wrong with feeling all of the negative emotions going through everyone right now. They come from a fear that is based on something very real for all of us. So let’s take some time to work through them. I am taking the day off today so that I can spend it with my family talking about the immediate future, to consider all of our options, and to work through these terrible emotions together.

The reason I am writing this is because I was a bit disappointed with the attitude that a lot of people had in the chat. I think it is healthy to get all of our frustration out in whatever way we can. But giving up altogether is not okay. I have no illusions that Trump “might not cancel DACA.” I am also well aware that the Republicans won everything last night, the house and the senate. I know full well how much the deck is stacked against us now. I am as much aware as the rest of you of the storm that is coming. So when I say what I am about to say, I do so with full knowledge of the situation at hand.

This is not the end.

The prevailing attitude last night was that it was all over. That we will all be deported on January 20th, that Trump is going to pass all kinds of anti-immigrant laws, that the situation was beyond hopeless. People gave a million and one reasons as to why everything is over, and they had already given up all hope. We can’t control what happens, but we can control how we deal with it.

Yes, DACA is almost certainly dead. Yes, the republicans control everything and can pretty much pass whatever they want. And yes, none of it will be good for us. But I still remember when we were fighting for the Dream Act. I remember all of the marches, all of the organizing we did, and all of the support we were able to obtain. We were on the news, we were in the papers, and we made the country aware of our situation. And even though we lost the Dream Act vote, we managed to become a national topic that to this day has still not been forgotten.

Then DACA came around and changed our lives. But I think that it has made us forget our civil activist roots that got us to DACA in the first place. We have lost the fight in so many arenas, and it has become a defensive battle instead of a proactive battle now that Trump is president, but my point is that there is still a battle to be fought. Yes, they will try to come after us, and we might not be able to stop them, but does that mean we shouldn’t even try? Does that mean that we should be making plans to return to our home countries? I personally don’t think so.

I am aware that deportation may now be in my future. And if it happens, I just want to be able to say that I at least tried to do something about it. If they do ultimately deport me, it will be after the longest fight that I can put up. If there is a march, I will be a part of it. If there is a protest, I want to be there holding a sign. There are way too many of us to just give up and do nothing. There are over 11 million of us, if they try to remove us, then let’s at least make our voices heard. Even if we don’t win, let’s at least make enough noise for other countries to notice. If we can’t save ourselves, we can at least show the world what America has become and what it is doing to us.

In my case, I don’t have family back in my home country that can take me in or offer me work. Returning there is not an option for me. Maybe it is for some people, but for most of us who grew up here, there is nothing to return to. I would be literally wandering the streets aimlessly until something happened to me. I have a college degree, and it will be a shame when I can no longer use it. But I have nowhere else to go, so I am willing to swallow my pride and take whatever under the table work I can find. In my situation, it is better to be a dishwasher here in the U.S. than return to my home country. If I get caught up in a raid or something, then I’m contacting every activist group I can and get as much publicity as I can. Basically what I am saying is that if I am sent back to my country Trump will have to personally drag me there kicking and screaming the whole way, with the whole world watching. If I ever find myself in my old country, I will at least be able to live with myself knowing that I did everything I could.

Please take the time to deal with the emotions that this has caused. Now that the worst is here, ask yourself what you plan to do about it? Examine your options carefully, and realistically. If you still feel that there is absolutely nothing you can do, get a second opinion. Maybe tell someone you never thought telling before about your situation. Do everything possible to survive in this country if the alternative is worse. If you have a way out that is better than just surviving the next 4 years, take it. If you are lucky enough to be in love, get married. If the situation in your country is not so bad, for example if you have family back there willing to help you, then start planning an exit strategy. But even if you are planning to go back to your country, maybe lend us your voice first and march with us when the time comes. If we all lose together, then at least we can say that we did everything possible for our dreams. If we have to go, let’s make the world notice us one more time before we go.

Sorry for the long post, but I had to get all of this out there somewhere. I haven’t slept since 6 am Tuesday morning, and I haven’t eaten anything since lunch yesterday (was too nervous to eat during the election count). I am exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally. I am going to sleep now, I wish you all the best of luck.

I really hope the democrats grow a back bone and fillibuster everything in the senate, just like the republicans, they need 65 votes and last I checked Republicans have 51 and dems have 47. So payback is a bitch, I truly hope the dems don't cave and filibuster everything, just like the republicans did.

Thank you! Well said. Good luck to you too.

My sentiments for the most part about his whole fiasco. Too much self-defeated attitude in the chat last night and in the forum today. Yes the cards have been stacked against us, but nothing's over till it's over. It's disappointing to see people willing to throw in the towel without even trying to fight. Having the good life that came with DACA these past 4 years has disconnected us from the hard fought effort that went into achieving the introduction of the Dream Act in the first place.

That's a long ass post.

Chill out.

He's not going to end DACA.

Dems grow a backbone? We would see Trump expand DACA before Dems ever grow a spine. They're professional losers.


I wish I had your enthusiasm but forgive me if I have skepticism that you actually believe what you're saying. There is nothing to back up that belief. Logic and reason isn't what is driving the show right now.

Mass deportation likely won't ever happen for a myriad of reasons, but continuing on business as usual is almost unthinkable.

You've got to understand. Trump doesn't actually have answers as how to bring up the working poor. But he has to do something. And the people who voted him in all have it out for us.

Say what you will about Trump, but he isn't going in for just 4 years. He will do what he can to keep power because that's what people in power do. He's not going to alienate the very people who propelled him to the whitehouse by not doing anything.

Thanks, I really needed to read something inspiring. The last 12 hours have seemed so bleak and hopeless. There will be people maintaining hope that he won't go through and end DACA, and there are those who are already planning their return to their home countries. I think we need to find a healthy balance. Be aware that Trump will most likely go through with what he said he would do with DACA. However, not give up so easily. Our parents have fought a hard battle and have been living completely undocumented for decades. We are a new generation and it will be hard to adjust again, especially since DACA has made it so easy. I'm not going to cling on to false hope, but I'm also not going to completely give up.

I hope they filibuster until the republicans give up.

Giving up? When you break it down to the base elements, people bring their children here so that they may have a better life. If you willingly let yourself be at the mercy of the very people who despise you, then you're always going to be at risk to live a life of despair. Exhibit A, Trump. It is self defeating.

I've got a lot of soul searching to do in the next few weeks. Nothing in my life has ever worked out in a way I had envisioned it and so why should I have a different expectation of results for living here?

See, democrats drank their own koolaid by thinking their queen was going to win and colluded with her to make sure Sanders didn't win in the primaries. And now look at the result. Living a lie doesn't do anyone any favors.

So is the US the only country I could possibly have a good life in? Am I supposed to drink that koolaid as well and stay around when all evidence shows we have nothing to look forward to and the only positive outcome is that we somehow go ignored?

A) Live outside the us and give it all I've got to make something of myself knowing for 100% I don't have to worry about whether or not I'm allowed to stay or

B) Stay here in the highly likely chance that I will be in a position of that before DACA was even a thing. I remember those days, and I do not want back into that pit of depression.

Id sooner be a man and make something of myself where I choose rather than let bigots decide for me.