COMMENTARY: Congress should extend program to help undocumented kids

From the outside, I may seem like any other 19-year-old starting college at Franklin and Marshall in Pennsylvania this fall. I’m a middle child — one of five children. I made the honor roll throughout high school and played flag football. My family are regulars at church each week, and even though I broke my curfew on occasion, I stay out of trouble. During the past couple of years, I even started volunteering and working on political campaigns because I believe public service is what makes America the best country in the world.

It wasn’t that long ago, however, that I would have been terrified to tell you how I’m different from other American kids. In fact, the first time I told a campaign organizer I was undocumented, I cried.

There is a lot of psychological stress that comes with being undocumented in this country. For as long as I can remember, I struggled with the weight and anxiety of my legal status. I shared with close friends and teachers that I’d come to the United States from the Philippines, but I didn’t dare share my immigration status. Even though I was an American in every way but by birth, what could happen to my family if the wrong person found out?

My life changed profoundly in 2015 when I applied for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. This is a program that provides work authorization and relief from deportation for those who came to America as children. I had known about DACA since it was first announced in 2012, but I didn’t think that I was eligible. I was scared that by taking the steps to find out, I would expose myself and my family.

Then, President Barack Obama came to a high school nearby to talk to residents about the program. I attended the rally and eventually gathered the courage to contact my local congresswoman for help. That July, her office guided me through the DACA process, and I received approval in November 2015.

The DACA process is very comprehensive. I went through a rigorous background check, was fingerprinted and paid a fee. My mom was nervous about the level of detail I had to provide. Today, my family is proud of the steps I have taken to come out of the shadows so I can work and go to school. I’ve become the go-to person in my family to talk about immigration and the legalities of it.

You see, DACA is not permanent and the program is in jeopardy today. It could be eliminated at any moment. In June, 10 Republican attorneys general from states across the country sent a message loud and clear threatening to sue President Trump if DACA is not repealed by Sept. 5. If our country does not find a way to save the DACA program or pass a bipartisan legislative solution to protect Dreamers, more than 800,000 hardworking young people living in the United States will be no longer be able to go to school or work here legally. These are nurses treating your families, teachers educating your children, military veterans and members of church congregations who will no longer be able to serve this country and instead be subject to immediate deportation.

That is why I am sharing my story. I am urging Congress to pass the DREAM Act, a bipartisan bill introduced by Sens. Lindsey Graham, a Republican, and Dick Durbin, a Democrat, that offers a lasting solution for Dreamers to live without fear of deportation. This bill provides a solution that not only benefits us, but also benefits the economy as a whole. It is estimated that over $433 billion in GDP would be lost over the next decade if Dreamers such as me lose our jobs and are subject to deportation because we would no longer be able to work, pay taxes or contribute to the country we consider home.

My first day of college is this week, and I am beyond excited. I earned a full merit scholarship through the Golden Door Scholars program because of my academic achievements. I will be studying to become a data scientist. I have always been passionate about computing and data, and I intend to contribute to research and policies around machine learning and artificial intelligence in the country in the near future. My hope is that Congress has the courage to act swiftly to pass the bipartisan DREAM Act so I can fulfill my dreams and continue contributing to America, my home.

Cheska Perez is a 2015 graduate of Valley High School in Las Vegas.