Austin American-Statesman
By Edilsa Lopez
On September 5, 2018, I was sitting in my office crying uncontrollably as I watched the Trump administration attempt to destroy the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program, which provides temporary relief from deportation and work authorization to certain young undocumented immigrants who qualify. September 5th marked a day of distress for nearly 100,000 immigrants in Texas who are legally able to work and study in the United States thanks to DACA.
DACA has been under threat for years and in Texas, suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton has been a key person in attempts to rescind it, suing the federal government over the program.
While there have been many efforts to try to protect DACA, my future as a DACA recipient remains uncertain as the courts continue down a path toward nullification.
This year, as we approach September 5th, I’m reminded of the DACA program’s undeniable success and the origins of the relentless anti-immigrant crusade against it led by Paxton. He now fights for his own future as the Texas Senate is set to begin his impeachment trial on the same day.
Once a staple in national headlines for his unrelenting attacks against immigrants, Ken Paxton’s name is now synonymous with a litany of legal troubles.
The headlines today recount a different story — allegations of financial fraud, pending criminal charges, federal investigations for corruption and other shameful scandals. The winds shifted so dramatically that Republicans and Democrats in the Texas House of Representatives came together for a historic vote to refer Paxton’s impeachment to trial. Bribery, abuse of office, and obstruction of justice were among the charges.
Paxton led a 10-state coalition against the DACA program. DACA recipients have spent years fighting for our futures while also fighting Paxon’s infatuation with distorting the facts. He has painted immigrants as a threat to Texas and criminals who deserve punishment.
Paxton’s “work” has always represented a direct threat to me, my family, my community and our economy. Texas has been my home since I arrived from Guatemala when I was 13. I found Texas to be a safe haven and land of opportunity after fleeing extreme poverty and abuse.
Although it was challenging, DACA allowed me to be the first person in my family to graduate from university, the University of Texas. I now work as an accountant, I’m a mother and I have dreams of becoming a lawyer. Every day, I’m determined to build a better life for my daughter and myself, but relentless attacks on the program continue to jeopardize our aspirations until Congress takes action.
Although most Texans with DACA are currently in their late 20s, the average recipient came here at six years old. In the first 10 years since the DACA program, recipients contributed a staggering $16.1 billion to Texas’ economy, with projections indicating that a permanent DACA solution could add $400 billion more to the U.S. economy over the next decade.
The contributions of immigrants extend beyond the economic realm; we enrich our communities and embody the best of our nation’s values. It is incumbent upon our elected officials to champion these contributions rather than undermine them.
The eyes of the nation will be on Texas this September 5 when Ken Paxton is forced to stand in the shadow of uncertainty created by his legal battles in a fight for his career and future in our state. For DACA recipients across our country, this is the grim reality Mr. Paxton spent the last decade creating for us. We are not giving up.
Lopez is a DACA recipient and graduate of the University of Texas living in Austin.
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