Mary came to the U.S. with her mother when she was seven. Her mom worked in a ski resort hotel and could make more money as a maid there than at a job in Mexico. Mary has now graduated from college with a double major in accounting and business; she finished in four years with no debt. She now works for an accounting firm in Denver.
Randy grew up in Guatemala. His family had little money, so he worked full-time to help support his family while he attended school. When he flunked a couple of classes because of the job, his brother in America told him education was the most important part of life. Randy, at 14, was to come live with him and finish high school. The brothers now own a drywall business together, employing several people.
Andrew was 10 when he came to Colorado for the third time. His father, a farmer, could not support his family during Mexico’s drought, so he worked in construction in the U.S. in the winters before returning home. When the violence in his town became unbearable, he chose to stay here with his family. Andrew graduated from college with a degree in engineering management, and now works with his father in their own remodeling and renovation business.
Mary, Randy and Andrew, not their real names, are Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, recipients in Southwest Colorado. They join the teachers, doctors and soldiers who also came to the United States before they were 16 with parents who fled their homeland for a better life for their children.
DACA, which President Trump rescinded in November, protects these children from deportation, giving them a work visa and driver’s license. They are ineligible for the program if they drop out of school, get arrested or are fired, and they need to file a report every time they move or change jobs.
They are friends and neighbors, not criminals.
Mary worked both a full-time and half-time job in college, and as a food pantry coordinator in the summers. She lived with her mother, step-father and three siblings. Her parents have built, lived in and sold two homes and own a small business. Their chances of becoming documented are virtually impossible, Mary said, because of the fear, long wait and never-ending paperwork.
Randy came to high school speaking no English and a different dialect of Spanish than what was taught. He graduated after having to learn two new languages as well as the regular coursework. He found a job upon graduation, started a business with his brother, bought a house and has a young son.
Andrew fought hard for the 2013 Asset Bill, permitting undocumented students to pay in-state tuition. It helped him afford the tuition he paid with private scholarships and a full-time job, graduating with no debt.
DACA is in trouble, and we must not forget the people it will hurt. The 17,000 members in Colorado contribute more than $800 million to the economy. They deserve dignity and respect.
Barry Devine, of Durango, is a member of the Durango Indivisible Immigration Committee. Reach him at anzacsma@hotmail.com.
