Local Dreamer shares hopes on DACA decision
Monday is the deadline for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, but lawmakers have yet to come to a solution.
Nearly 800,000 DACA recipients live across the United States, coming from more than 145 countries, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
An estimated 1,900 so-called Dreamers live in El Paso based on recent figures from USCIS, and Vidriana Villa is one of them.
“I feel like I fit here,” said Villa. “I feel like I belong in El Paso, and I feel like this is my home.”
She moved to El Paso from Juarez, and has been living here for more than a decade.
“My sisters were born in the United States,” said Villa. ” My parents are residents, so I came with them. I was the only one who couldn’t’t get an easy path to get my papers.”
Federal court rulings allow DACA permit holder to continue to renew their status, however advocates say a decision needs to be made because time may be running out for some so-called Dreamers.
At a recent town hall, Rep. Beto O’Rourke told ABC-7 action needs to be take, and El Paso is on the map to take charge.
“We need to use this time to find a way forward with Democrats and Republicans alike to ensure that those dreamers can continue to stay in our communities to thrive, to contribute to our success, but also to be able to do so as full U.S. citizens,” said O’Rourke.
A recent CNN poll found that 84 percent of Americans, including 72 percent of Republicans, reported that they want to see DACA continue.
“When it comes to immigration, we see a lot of disagreement,” Sen. Ted Cruz recently said on a trip to El Paso. ” A lot of fights in Washington. But I actually think outside of Washington, outside of the world of politics, there’s a lot of common ground, there’s a lot of agreement.”
Villa said she is hopeful that a decision will come out in the favor because being forced to live in Mexico, away from her family would mean that she would have to ” start over from zero.”
CNN contributed to this report.
