throbber
No. 18-1415
`Nos. 18-587, 18-588, 18-589
`Nos. 18-587, 18-588, 18-589
`In the Supreme Court of the United States
`In the Supreme Court of the United States
`
`DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, ET AL.,
`DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, ET AL.,
`Petitioners,
`Petitioners,
`
`v.
`v.
`REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, ET AL.,
`REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, ET AL.,
`Respondents.
`Respondents.
`
`On Writ of Certiorari to the United States
`On Writ of Certiorari to the United States
`Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
`Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
`
`BRIEF OF AMICI CURIAE SERVICE EMPLOYEES
`BRIEF OF AMICI CURIAE SERVICE EMPLOYEES
`INTERNATIONAL UNION, AMERICAN FEDERATION
`INTERNATIONAL UNION, AMERICAN FEDERATION
`OF LABOR AND CONGRESS OF INDUSTRIAL
`OF LABOR AND CONGRESS OF INDUSTRIAL
`ORGANIZATIONS, AND AMERICAN FEDERATION OF
`ORGANIZATIONS, AND AMERICAN FEDERATION OF
`STATE, COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES IN
`STATE, COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES IN
`SUPPORT OF RESPONDENTS
`SUPPORT OF RESPONDENTS
`
`NICOLE G. BERNER
`NICOLE G. BERNER
`CLAIRE PRESTEL
`CLAIRE PRESTEL
`JOHN M. D’ELIA
`JOHN M. D’ELIA
`SERVICE EMPLOYEES
`SERVICE EMPLOYEES
`INTERNATIONAL UNION
`INTERNATIONAL UNION
`1800 Massachusetts Ave., NW
`1800 Massachusetts Ave., NW
`Washington, D.C. 20036
`Washington, D.C. 20036
`(202) 730-7466
`(202) 730-7466
`
`Counsel for Amicus Curiae
`Counsel for Amicus Curiae
`SEIU
`SEIU
`
`DEEPAK GUPTA
`DEEPAK GUPTA
`Counsel of Record
`Counsel of Record
`LARK TURNER
`LARK TURNER
`GUPTA WESSLER PLLC
`GUPTA WESSLER PLLC
`1900 L Street, NW, Suite 312
`1900 L Street, NW, Suite 312
`Washington, DC 20036
`Washington, DC 20036
`(202) 888-1741
`(202) 888-1741
`deepak@guptawessler.com
`deepak@guptawessler.com
`
`Counsel for Amici Curiae
`Counsel for Amici Curiae
`
` (additional captions and Counsel listed on inside cover)
` (additional captions and Counsel listed on inside cover)
`
`October 4, 2019
`October 4, 2019
`
`Mosaic - (301) 927-3800 - Cheverly, MD
`
`49261_Ltrhd.indd 1
`
`6/11/08 12:44:09 AM
`
`

`

`DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,
`ET AL.,
`
`Petitioners,
`
`v.
`NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF
`COLORED PEOPLE, ET AL.,
`
`Respondents.
`
`On Writ of Certiorari Before Judgment to the United States
`Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
`
`KEVIN K. MCALEENAN, ACTING SECRETARY OF HOMELAND
`SECURITY, ET AL.,
`
`Petitioners,
`
`v.
`MARTIN JONATHAN BATALLA VIDAL, ET AL.,
`Respondents.
`
`On Writ of Certiorari Before Judgment to the United States
`Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
`
`HAROLD C. BECKER
`MATTHEW J. GINSBURG
`AMERICAN FEDERATION OF
`LABOR AND CONGRESS OF
`INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATIONS
`815 Sixteenth Street., NW
`Washington, D.C. 20006
`cbecker@aflcio.org
`Counsel for Amicus Curiae
`AFL-CIO
`
`JUDITH RIVLIN
`AMERICAN FEDERATION
`OF STATE, COUNTY AND
`MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES
`1625 L Street, NW
`Washington, DC 20036
`JRivlin@afscme.org
`
`Counsel for Amicus Curiae
`AFSCME
`
`

`

`-i-
`TABLE OF CONTENTS
`Table of contents ................................................................... i
`Table of authorities .............................................................. ii
`Introduction and summary of argument ............................ 1
`Interest of amici curiae......................................................... 2
`Argument ............................................................................... 4
`I. Union members and their families have become
`vital parts of American society as a direct result
`ofthe opportunities provided to them by the
`DACA program. ............................................................. 4
`M.R.: Homecare worker for the elderly by day,
`tutor to his American siblings by night. ......... 4
`P.V.: A dedicated public servant prosecuting
`crime for Travis County, Texas. ...................... 6
`T.W.: From NFL athlete to Harvard-trained
`orthopedic surgeon. ........................................... 7
`E.M.: A father supporting his family. ........................ 9
`O.S.: 23 and “able to do normal things” like
`attend college. .................................................. 10
`F.G.: Living without fear of being deported
`from his American wife. .................................. 11
`C.F.: Living the American dream until 17,
`regaining it through DACA. .......................... 13
`V.S.: Public servant, psychology graduate, and
`the caretaker of her American siblings. ....... 14
`I.T.: Surgical technician
`uncertain of her future. ................................... 15
`II. Rescinding DACA will adversely impact
`America’s workplaces, communities,
`and national economy. ................................................. 17
`III. Terminating the DACA program inflicts
`irreparable harm on DACA recipients and their
`families, including American-citizen children. ......... 19
`Conclusion ............................................................................ 22
`
`

`

`-ii-
` TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
`Articles and Reports
`Catalina Amuedo-Dorantes & Francisca Antman,
`Can authorization reduce poverty among
`undocumented immigrants? Evidence from
`the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
`program, Elsevier, 147 Econ. Lett. 1 (2016). ....... 19, 20
`Ike Brannon & Logan Albright,
`The Economic and Fiscal Impact of
`Repealing DACA, Cato Institute
`(Jan. 18, 2017), https://perma.cc/ZH57-8D98. ....... 2, 18
`Center for American Progress & FWD.us,
`Study: The Impact of Deferred Action for
`Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program
`Repeal on Jobs, FWD.us (Aug. 23, 2017),
`https://perma.cc/3X8Q-ZJSM. ............................... 17, 20
`Edward Graham,
`Trump’s DACA Move Comes as
` Most Voters Back Citizenship for ‘Dreamers,’
`Morning Consult (Sept. 5, 2017),
`https://perma.cc/6BX9-J6K5. ...................................... 19
`Roberto G. Gonzales et al.,
`Becoming DACAmented: Assessing the
`Short-Term Benefits of Deferred Action for
`Childhood Arrivals (DACA),
`58 Am. Behav. Sci. 1852 (2014). ............................. 19, 20
`Jens Hainmueller et al.,
`Protecting unauthorized immigrant
`mothersimproves their children’s mental
`health, 357 Science 1041 (2017). .................................. 21
`
`

`

`-iii-
`
`Jens Manuel Krogstad,
`DACA has shielded nearly 790,000 young
`unauthorized immigrants from deportation,
`Pew Research Center (Sept. 1, 2017),
`https://perma.cc/ A5NW-HKYD. ................................ 21
`Jens Manuel Krogstad, Jeffrey S. Passel & D’Vera
`Cohn, 5 facts about illegal immigration in the
`U.S., Pew Research Center (Apr. 27, 2017),
`https://perma.cc/ FYM8-GAEA. ................................. 18
`Jose Magaña-Salgado,
`Money on the Table: The Economic Cost of
`Ending DACA, Immigrant Legal Resource
`Center (Dec. 2016), https://perma.cc/S4NY-V33Z. ... 18
`Milenko Martinovich,
`Rescinding DACA protections on immigrant
`mothers could have negative health impacts on
` their children, Stanford study finds, Stanford
`News (Sept. 7, 2017), https://perma.cc/ZMT5-
`K2MB. ............................................................................. 21
`
`

`

`

`

`-1-
`
`INTRODUCTION AND
`SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT1
`Through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
`program, law-abiding undocumented young people in the
`United States have been able to achieve a longstanding
`dream: to become vital, productive, and successful
`members of the society in which they were raised. In just
`five years, DACA recipients have made invaluable contri-
`butions to the American labor force as doctors, lawyers,
`teachers, community health workers, janitors, homecare
`providers, and more. They are the working parents and
`siblings of 200,000 adolescent American citizens,2 provid-
`ing what is often their family’s sole source of income.
`The question before this Court is whether the Trump
`Administration’s abrupt termination of this program was
`lawful. Amici submit this brief to demonstrate—through
`individual stories of DACA recipients and social-science
`data—how rescinding DACA would harm working
`
`1 This brief was not authored in whole or in part by counsel for a
`party and no one other than amici curiae and their counsel made a
`monetary contribution to the preparation or submission of this brief.
`SEIU Local 521 and the American Federation of Teachers, parties to
`this case, are independent organizations affiliated with SEIU and the
`AFL-CIO respectively. SEIU and the AFL-CIO are independent
`legal entities, separate and distinct from the many local, regional, and
`national labor organizations with which they are affiliated. Counsel
`for SEIU are employed solely by SEIU and do not represent SEIU
`Local 521. Likewise, the counsel for the AFL-CIO are employed
`solely by the AFL-CIO and do not represent the American Federa-
`tion of Teachers. All parties have consented to the filing of this brief;
`letters of consent have been lodged with the Clerk.
`2 Priscilla Alvarez, Will DACA Parents Be Forced to Leave Their
`U.S.-Citizen Children Behind?, The Atlantic, Oct. 21, 2017,
`https://perma.cc/XD7H-282Q.
`
`

`

`-2-
`
`
`
`people, their families, and the country in general, while
`doing little to address the need to reform our broken
`immigration system. It is conservatively estimated that
`DACA recipients would increase the gross domestic prod-
`uct of the United States economy by $215 billion and U.S.
`tax revenues by $60 billion over the next decade.3 Termi-
`nating DACA eliminates these gains. It also denies DACA
`recipients the security and confidence in knowing that
`they will return home safely to their families every day.
`That fear is only amplified now that the government has
`gained sensitive information about them through the
`program. Terminating DACA also severely limits their
`educational and employment opportunities. Multiple
`studies establish the obvious and acute negative conse-
`quences of living in such uncertain conditions and how
`DACA has already provided observable relief from those
`consequences. The experiences of
`individual union
`members and their relatives shared below illustrate this
`research, demonstrating the real human toll that rescind-
`ing DACA will inflict on undocumented young adults,
`their families, their communities, their workplaces, and
`the nation.
`INTEREST OF AMICI CURIAE
`Amici are two of the nation’s largest labor unions and
`the nation’s largest labor federation: Service Employees
`International Union, the American Federation of Labor
`and Congress of Industrial Organizations, and the Amer-
`ican Federation of State, County and Municipal Employ-
`ees.
`
`
`3 Ike Brannon & Logan Albright, The Economic and
`Fiscal Impact of Repealing DACA, Cato Institute (Jan. 18, 2017),
`https://perma.cc/ZH57-8D98.
`
`

`

`
`
`
`-3-
`
`Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is a
`labor organization of approximately two million working
`men and women in the United States and Canada. SEIU’s
`members
`include foreign-born U.S. citizens,
`lawful
`permanent residents, and undocumented immigrants
`authorized to work in the United States. Many of SEIU’s
`members have mixed-status families. As described below,
`SEIU members will be directly affected by the termina-
`tion of DACA.
`The American Federation of Labor and
`Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) is a
`federation of 55 national and international labor organiza-
`tions with a total membership of more than 12 million
`working men and women. The AFL-CIO’s affiliated
`unions represent workers of all citizenship and immigra-
`tion statuses. This includes many union members who, as
`a result of DACA, are themselves permitted to remain in
`the United States and work to support their families and
`communities, as well as many additional union
`members whose children, grandchildren, or other family
`members benefit from DACA. The termination of DACA
`would directly harm these union members and their
`families, as well as negatively impact the employers,
`community institutions, and local unions that depend on
`these union members’ hard work and volunteer commit-
`ment.
`American Federation of State, County and
`Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO (AFSCME) is a union
`of 1.4 million members in the United States and Puerto
`Rico, both in the public and private sectors, who share a
`commitment to service. AFSCME is participating in this
`case to advance its mission of helping all working people,
`including immigrants and people of color, achieve the
`American dream regardless of their identity. AFSCME is
`
`

`

`-4-
`
`
`
`proud to represent members who came to the United
`States as children and who are contributing to our
`communities, states, and country. The public servants of
`AFSCME, and indeed all Americans, deserve better.
`ARGUMENT
`I. Union members and their families have become
`vital parts of American society as a direct result of
`the opportunities provided to them by the DACA
`program.
`Millions of workers nationwide are united in the amici
`labor organizations, and many union members and their
`families will be harmed by a repeal of DACA. The experi-
`ences of individual union members and their family mem-
`bers confirm and illustrate the successes of DACA for
`American society and, in turn, the gains that will be lost if
`DACA is terminated.4
`M.R.: Homecare worker for the elderly by day,
`tutor to his American siblings by night.
`M.R. is a 24-year-old member of SEIU 2015 who came
`to the United States from El Salvador at age eight. He
`lives in San Jose, California with his family, including his
`three U.S.-citizen siblings, aged nineteen, thirteen, and
`nine. M.R. is a homecare worker and has recently enrolled
`in a medical assistant training program at Silicon Valley
`Career Technical Education (SVCTE).
`M.R. enrolled in DACA in 2013. “My parents raised
`me with the idea that I should make something of myself
`and contribute to the community. With DACA I was able
`
`4 The individuals whose stories are told here all consented to
`having their experiences recounted in this brief. Participants chose to
`maintain a measure of anonymity by using initials only.
`
`
`

`

`-5-
`
`
`
`to work at a job that allowed me to make a difference in
`the life of a very ill, elderly patient. I’m a homecare
`worker and I care for an elderly man who is blind,
`diabetic, has kidney failure, a pacemaker, and is on dialy-
`sis. DACA made this meaningful job possible for me.”
`M.R. attended school in California, graduating high
`school from Gunderson High School in 2014. During his
`high school years, M.R. received an honor roll award,
`played varsity soccer and volleyball, and participated in
`the multicultural club and the boxing club.
`M.R. is a conscientious and responsible member of his
`family, his workplace, and his community. He picks up his
`siblings from school, helps them with their homework, and
`does chores around his house. He attends church regu-
`larly and is involved in a leadership development program
`with his co-workers. “I believe that I am responsible for
`more than myself alone. I think that in a democratic soci-
`ety we must care for the needs of our neighbors, friends,
`and co-workers—not just ourselves and our families.
`These are the values that I learned from my parents—you
`have to work hard for what you want, but you must
`respect others and treat them the way that you want to be
`treated.”
`As a child in El Salvador, M.R. faced danger and
`uncertainty. His earliest memories are of hearing warn-
`ings to avoid the gang members who moved freely
`through his neighborhood. M.R.’s family rushed him out
`of the country before the gangs could recruit him. “The
`gangs search for young boys to become members at an
`early age. I was lucky to escape before I was forcibly
`recruited. DACA has allowed me to live in safety and
`security in the U.S.”
`
`

`

`
`
`
`-6-
`
`P.V.: A dedicated public servant prosecuting
`crime for Travis County, Texas.
`P.V. is an Assistant County Attorney for Travis
`County, Texas, where Austin is located. As a dedicated
`public servant and an AFSCME Local 1624 member, P.V.
`spends his workdays as a criminal prosecutor protecting
`public safety by handling all sorts of traffic-related crimi-
`nal cases from running red lights to DWIs.
`P.V. came to the United States from Mexico when he
`was three years old. He and his family settled in the
`Houston area, but his living situation was difficult when
`he first arrived. His father found work as a dishwasher
`and his mother as a busser, and the family lived with
`various relatives while they got their footing. His father is
`now a bartender and his mother a licensed massage ther-
`apist. After 19 years, his parents became legal permanent
`residents. P.V., however, remains without permanent
`legal status because he aged out of his parents’ application
`during the 19-year wait.
`P.V. knew from a young age that he wanted to create
`a path to success in the United States, and he studied hard
`to make that dream a reality. He graduated from high
`school in 2009 and went on to study sports management at
`the University of Texas at Austin, where he graduated
`with high honors. At first, P.V. thought he wanted to
`pursue a career as a sports agent, “like Jerry Maguire,”
`but decided he enjoyed public service and chose to attend
`The University of Texas School of Law. He graduated
`from law school in 2016 and soon after passed the Texas
`Bar.
`P.V. is a DACA recipient and that status is what
`allows him to be a dedicated public servant and prosecut-
`
`

`

`-7-
`
`
`
`ing attorney today. Without DACA, he would not be eligi-
`ble to do the work he does every day for Travis County.
`P.V. is the first member of his family to go to college and
`graduate school, and the first member of his family to
`work as a professional. Without DACA, he would be
`“unemployable” in most workplaces. With it, P.V. can do
`the job he loves, and contribute to the economy and his
`community by supporting himself, paying taxes, and
`contributing to the county retirement plan.
`He also knows that without DACA his community
`would suffer dire consequences. P.V.’s experience as a
`prosecutor has taught him that without legal status, many
`immigrants, fearing deportation, refuse to report crimes
`or avoid testifying when they are victims of assaults and
`other crimes for fear of deportation. As an immigrant
`himself, he knows that many immigrant families’ conduit
`to law enforcement and their broader community is
`through their DACA recipient children who serve as their
`“ambassadors.”
`P.V. wants to continue to be a “positive agent of
`change in the criminal justice system,” but he knows he
`cannot do so without DACA. The ability to achieve work
`status through DACA is what gave him the confidence to
`go to law school in the first place, and make his family and
`community so proud.
`T.W.: From NFL athlete to Harvard-trained
`orthopedic surgeon.
`Dr. T.W. is a practicing orthopedic surgeon in
`Atlanta, Georgia who recently completed a five-year
`medical residency
`in Harvard’s orthopedic surgery
`department and a one-year fellowship in orthopedic
`sports medicine at Stanford University. Dr. T.W. is a
`former National Football League (NFL) athlete who
`
`

`

`-8-
`
`participated in DACA for about four years. His wife, a
`U.S. citizen, is an alumnus member of SEIU’s Committee
`of Interns and Residents (CIR).
`Dr. T.W. came to the United States at age three. His
`family settled in California after fleeing political unrest in
`Nigeria. Dr. T.W.’s only memories are of life in the United
`States, and he grew up believing that with hard work and
`commitment, he could do anything. “I saw only the Amer-
`ican Dream and truly believed if I put forth effort and
`determination, there was nothing I could not do.” A bril-
`liant student and a track, wrestling, and football star in
`high school and at Stanford University, Dr. T.W. gradu-
`ated and spent several years playing football on NFL
`teams.
`Throughout his childhood and early adult years, Dr.
`T.W. believed he was American. It was only when he
`needed his passport to travel to Canada for a position with
`the Canadian Football League that he learned that he was
`not a U.S. citizen. “In some ways, the fact that I didn’t
`know my true immigration status freed me from the
`stress and obstacles
`imposed by undocumented
`status and allowed me to imagine limitless possibilities in
`my life.”
`As Dr. T.W.’s football career ended, he turned to his
`other passion: medicine. He excelled in his studies at
`Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine,
`but recognized that his undocumented status would
`prevent his acceptance to a medical residency program in
`the United States. “DACA saved me. It rescued me and
`allowed me to pursue my medical residency at the
`Harvard Combined Orthopedic Residency Program at
`Massachusetts General Hospital. Thank God for DACA.”
`
`

`

`
`
`
`-9-
`
`A six-week lapse of Dr. T.W.’s DACA status served as
`a reminder of the critical importance of DACA to his
`medical career. Dr. T.W. had to stop working for 6 weeks
`during his
`intern year while he waited for the
`extension of his DACA work authorization card. “The
`orthopedic surgery intern functions as a crucial member
`of a team, and when I wasn’t able to work, I let my team
`down. My program could not fill the void, and I was sleep-
`less with anxiety. All of a sudden it didn’t matter that I
`was a doctor. Without DACA I was thrust back into the
`status of an unwelcome, alien intruder.”
`Dr. T.W. completed his training last year and now
`works in an orthopedic surgery practice. He intends to
`continue serving the community and treating muscular
`injuries, broken bones, and a wide range of other condi-
`tions.5
`E.M.: A father supporting his family.
`E.M. is a 33-year-old alumnus member of SEIU 32BJ
`who has lived in Washington, D.C. since he came to the
`United States from Mexico in 1999. He is a husband, a
`father of two U.S. citizen children aged nine and six, an
`active member of his community, and a DACA recipient.
`E.M. has held DACA status for about six years. He
`worked on a janitorial crew represented by SEIU 32BJ
`and is now a supervisor responsible for leading a crew.
`E.M. attended Francis Junior High School and gradu-
`ated from Roosevelt Senior High School in Washington,
`D.C.
`
`
`5 In June of 2017, Dr. T.W.’s application for legal residency was
`approved. Although he no longer relies on DACA, he values the
`program that was vital to his medical career and his life.
`
`
`

`

`
`
`
`-10-
`
`With DACA he has been able to “step out of the shad-
`ows,” participate in the community, and not be afraid of
`arrest and deportation. “I can’t stand the thought of being
`deported and leaving my kids alone.”
`E.M. wants “to be able to afford a house so that my
`kids can play in our own backyard.” E.M.’s kids are the
`world to him. “I want my kids to grow up to be someone—
`I want them to go to college, have a good future, and be
`better than I am. My nine-year-old son says he wants to
`be a doctor and he wants to buy me a big house. My kids
`are my motivation, they are my anchor, and they keep me
`fighting for a better future.”
`Since E.M. left his hometown of Puebla, Mexico in
`1999, gangs and cartels there have grown dramatically.
`E.M. remembers his sister, his only close family member
`still in Mexico, warning him: “Don’t you ever come back
`here. It’s too dangerous.”
`After 20 years of living in the U.S. and contributing to
`his community through his work and union activities,
`E.M. feels that everything most important to him is in the
`U.S. “I’m not here to hurt anyone—I’m here to work hard
`and make a better life for me and my family. I don’t want
`to go back to living in the shadows.”
`O.S.: 23 and “able to do normal things” like attend
`college.
`O.S. is a 23-year old citizen of Colombia, the nephew of
`an SEIU 1199 member, and a former DACA recipient who
`is now a legal resident of the United States. He
`resides in Queens, New York and works as a server at the
`Standard Hotel in Manhattan.
`O.S. has lived in New York City since he arrived in the
`United States with his family at age 8 more than 15 years
`ago. He always knew that he was undocumented, and as
`
`

`

`-11-
`
`
`
`soon as the DACA program was created, O.S. applied for
`and was granted DACA. “Having DACA meant that I was
`able to do normal things that other people my age were
`doing. I was a sophomore in high school and with DACA,
`I qualified to get my first job through the city Summer
`Youth Employment Program. DACA allowed me to feel
`more confident and more comfortable. I didn’t feel
`ashamed and alien.”
`After O.S. graduated from high school in Queens, he
`enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program at a campus of the
`City College of New York. O.S. hopes to complete his
`bachelor’s degree and work in the marketing and commu-
`nications field.
`O.S. renewed DACA twice and remained in DACA
`until he obtained legal residency in 2017.
`“Although I have a green card now, I’ll never forget
`how much it meant to me to receive DACA. It came at just
`the right time in my life and helped put me on the path to
`college and a better future.”
`F.G.: Living without fear of being deported from
`his American wife.
`F.G., a citizen of Mexico who came to the United States
`24 years ago at age four, received DACA status in 2014.
`He is a member of SEIU 32BJ and resides in New York
`City with his U.S. citizen wife.
`DACA allowed F.G. to live, work, and participate in
`civic life without worrying that he would be deported.
`Fear of deportation shaped F.G.’s life for years. F.G.
`learned that he was undocumented when he was in high
`school and did everything he could to keep his undocu-
`mented status hidden. “It’s hard to describe the level of
`fear that affects immigrant communities. My own loving
`parents were so frightened that they might be deported,
`
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`

`-12-
`
`
`
`leaving my brother alone, that they gave up their parental
`rights in order to allow my U.S. citizen aunt to adopt us.
`That is the level of fear I lived with until 2014 when I was
`granted DACA. With DACA I could breathe freely for the
`first time.”
`F.G. spent his childhood and teenage years in Fayette-
`ville, a small college town in northwest Arkansas. He
`attended Catholic school and excelled in literature, art,
`and football. He worked on the art magazine in high school
`and acted as a stage manager for high school theatre
`productions. “Despite my fear of deportation, I was
`resolved to continue my education. After I graduated
`from high school in 2010, I attended the University of
`Arkansas for several years with the goal of becoming an
`architect. But without work authorization, I felt that I
`could never get a good job. I left the University discour-
`aged and without a degree.”
`F.G. met his wife at the University of Arkansas and
`lived in Fayetteville until his wife graduated from the
`University. “We moved to Atlanta for a short time while
`my wife worked for CNN, and then to New York City
`where my wife found a job working as a photo editor for a
`national magazine. By the time we moved to New York, I
`had DACA and was able to get a good job.”
`F.G. applied for legal residency in the United States
`and finally received his green card in early 2019. “Now my
`wife and I are making plans to open a business, and for my
`return to college. We are able to take advantage of the
`benefits of living in New York and often go to New York’s
`museums . . . I’ll always be grateful to DACA for giving
`me a sense of confidence, allowing me to work, and giving
`me the belief that I could live my life fully without the
`trauma of possible deportation. After receiving DACA I
`felt that I could finally relax.” F.G. and his wife have now
`
`

`

`-13-
`
`
`
`started a family; she recently gave birth to their first
`child.
`C.F.: Living the American dream until 17,
`regaining it through DACA.
`C.F. is a member of SEIU 32BJ who was brought to
`the United States from Mexico when he was a
`one-year-old child. He worked as a custodian and is now
`in training to become a maintenance technician. C.F. lives
`in Baltimore with his parents and his three U.S.-citizen
`brothers.
`C.F. attended school in Baltimore, completing his
`studies and graduating from Lansdowne High School. His
`favorite subject was math and he participated in the chess
`team in high school. C.F. learned for the first time that he
`was undocumented at age 17, when he sought to apply for
`a Social Security card.
`“I felt like I was as American as anyone else and find-
`ing out that I was undocumented was terrible for me. It
`changed my outlook and undermined my confidence.” C.S.
`felt that he didn’t belong, that he was different, even in his
`own family. “I’m really close to my three U.S. citizen
`brothers. But finding out about my immigration situation
`made me feel like an outsider, different and alone.”
`C.F. also worried that he couldn’t invest in his future.
`He feared he could be deported without warning. “My
`hopes for living the American dream—going to college,
`studying marketing, buying a home someday—the
`belief that I could succeed and build a good life suddenly
`seemed impossible.”
`But shortly after C.F. graduated high school, he heard
`about and applied for the DACA program. “DACA gave
`me permission to work, and with that permission I was
`able to get a steady job and join the union. DACA gave me
`
`

`

`-14-
`
`
`
`a chance and the hope for a better future.” With DACA,
`C.F.’s self-assurance returned. He began participating in
`activities to help his community and in activities support-
`ing his co-workers. “There are many people like me who
`just want a chance to work hard and be part of the Amer-
`ican dream. DACA gave me that chance.”
`V.S.: Public servant, psychology graduate, and
`the caretaker of her American siblings.
`V.S. was born in Mexico City and has resided in the
`United States since infancy. She is the daughter of an
`SEIU 1021 member. Educated entirely in the United
`States, from elementary school through the University of
`California, Santa Cruz, she was granted DACA in 2012.
`V.S. now works in her county’s District Attorney’s office,
`where she provides outreach and support services to
`Spanish-speaking survivors of domestic violence and
`sexual assault.
`“DACA was a game changer for me. It gave me hope
`and allowed me to believe that I always could be a little
`more: that I could graduate from the University of
`California, Santa Cruz, be on the dean’s list, and pursue a
`career in public service. When my parents were forced to
`depart the U.S. and I became the head of my family,
`DACA kept my spirits up and helped me to trust that I
`would be able to support and care for my three younger
`U.S. citizen brother and sisters.”
`V.S. grew up with faith in the power of education and
`the value of community service. In high school she
`maintained a 4.0 average; organized a schoolwide activi-
`ties committee; worked on the yearbook; and volunteered
`at a nursing home, running activities, music lessons,
`exercise sessions, and movie events for the elderly. Dur-
`ing her years at U.C. Santa Cruz, she studied psychology
`
`

`

`-15-
`
`
`
`while working as a research assistant in a child develop-
`ment lab, tutoring over 40 students, and interning in a
`special program to advance and support diversity at the
`University. V.S. graduated in 2016 with a B.A. in
`psychology.
` “My mother is a nurse and I watched her care for her
`patients with compassion and diligence. She inspired me
`to care for others who are facing trauma. But while she
`was forced to remain outside of the U.S., I carried the
`responsibility for my younger U.S. citizen siblings. I had
`to make sure everything went smoothly.”
`During her mother’s absence, V.S. attended her
`brother and sisters’ parent-teacher conferences and open
`house nights, oversaw their homework, and made sure
`that they got to school on time. She took her brother and
`sister to the doctor, did the family grocery shopping and
`cooking, and handled finances for her siblings and her
`parents. “We’re a close-knit family, and I can sense if my
`brother and sisters are upset. I know they’re going
`through a lot and I want to be there for them. Our
`community, my mother’s union, and our church have been
`great to us.”
` “I’ve always felt that I was an American,” she says.
`“But DACA has made me feel like my dreams could come
`true and I could have a career that will allow me to give
`something back to my community and my country.”
`I.T.: A surgical technician uncertain of her
`future.
`I.T. is a surgical technician at the University Medical
`Center in El Paso, Texas. When President Obama first
`announced the creation

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