“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” — The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus
Back in 1995, when I came to the United States, I did not know these words, but their spirit moved millions to take the treacherous risk of leaving their home, family, friends and culture for the hope of a better life. Did my parents know how they would be demonized for wanting a better life than the one they had for their children? I certainly did not. Nor could I have imagined that my right to exist, and so many others, would be held in a series of court deliberations such as the one in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals held on Oct. 10 in New Orleans.
I am Dr. Norma Ramirez, the first undocumented licensed psychologist in the state of Nevada — which I achieved thanks to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy. I came to the United States when I was 5 years old and have experienced the breadth and depth of these mixed messages. On one hand, I have had an immeasurable amount of support to achieve my dream of becoming a psychologist. Yet, on the other hand, I have lived with the fear of being known and feeling hated simply because we did our best to survive.
There are about 11,000 DACA recipients living in Nevada today, yet most have not had the privilege of pursuing a doctorate degree. Still, I have become extraordinary in the hopes that maybe one day I’ll be accepted, but somehow this is still not enough.
When DACA was introduced, it felt like a step closer to being a part of the fabric of U.S. society. Yet this hope turned into turmoil when former President Donald Trump ran his campaign on the promise of ending the policy. Nearly 800,000 individuals and their families were thrown into the abyss when he became president and fulfilled his promise in 2017.
It’s true that several individuals, states and organizations rose up to defend DACA in the form of lawsuits across the country. I was one of these plaintiffs. But having to fight every day and wait on court decision after court decision is not a life. This chaotic dichotomy of a path forward with the persistent threat of losing everything by the courts is the life of all DACA recipients.
Currently, as the political attacks against DACA’s legality continue to push the future of the policy toward the hands of the Supreme Court, my yearning to belong, to be accepted and to be free remains.
Similarly to DACA, the Biden-Harris administration this year introduced the “Keeping Families Together” parole in place process that would allow spouses and stepchildren of U.S. citizens to adjust their status without leaving the country. Due to unfair and exclusionary immigration policies, these individuals are often barred from adjusting their status unless they separate from their families and leave the U.S. for three to 10 years — an inhumane amount of time to be separated from loved ones, and an untenable amount of time to financially support oneself, let alone any family members. Tragically, 16 states filed a cruel, politically motivated lawsuit against Keeping Families Together and a district court judge in Texas has temporarily frozen these applications from being processed.
Now, following the oral arguments earlier this month on DACA, the future of the policy and Keeping Families Together are uncertain. The outcome of both cases could have continued detrimental effects, not only on eligible individuals but also on millions of families fighting not to be separated and on the whole nation.
Even though the majority of us are not open about our undocumented status, we are your family, friends and community members.
If DACA and Keeping Families Together are terminated, the 11,000 DACA recipients and the 10,000 undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens in Nevada would be put at risk. It would be a betrayal of the beliefs and values of family, community and freedom that the United States holds dear and a betrayal to your family and friends. However, if these programs are allowed to continue, we would once again reject the notion that the government should be in the business of separating families en masse, and we could move together toward a more united nation where all are welcomed and can breathe free.
Dr. Norma Ramirez is a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipient living in Las Vegas. She is the first undocumented licensed clinical psychologist in Nevada, and an activist for the undocumented community.
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