COMMENTARY: The clock is ticking for the Dreamers

Shortly after terminating the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, President Donald Trump assured 800,000 Dreamers that they had “nothing to worry about.” Unfortunately, and despite the president’s reassurances, the crisis is urgent for Dreamers in Nevada and across America.

More than 13,000 Nevadan Dreamers — our neighbors, friends, family members and colleagues — had their lives thrown into limbo by the end of DACA. As if being forced to live in anxiety for months on end about their future wasn’t enough, many of these young people are being targeted by the administration. Meanwhile, our state’s top elected officials have yet to fully step up to help fix this crisis. It’s time for Nevada’s leadership, starting with Gov. Brian Sandoval and Sen. Dean Heller, to move past vague support for Dreamers and to start actually delivering for these young Americans.

After the September announcement ending the program, the Trump administration created a new and artificial deadline for many DACA renewal applications in October 2017 and did not even directly notify those affected about the new deadline. Consequently, around 22,000 DACA recipients missed this accelerated deadline and are losing protections at a rate of 122 per day — that’s 851 people per week — between Oct. 5 and next March.

What’s more, the administration ignored bipartisan requests to extend the DACA enrollment period even in areas devastated by hurricanes in Texas and Florida. Additionally, at least 900 Dreamers lost their DACA protection in November when the applications were delayed due to U.S. Postal Service delivery problems.

When Trump rescinded DACA, Gov. Sandoval issued a compelling statement in support of DACA recipients calling on Congress to act, “I support DACA … They’re our neighbors, friends and the familiar faces at the grocery store. They are Nevadans … Congress must act in order to preserve this program and reform and stabilize our nation’s immigration system.”

And now, radio silence.

Gov. Sandoval has diligently avoided Dreamers, allies and advocates and refused to announce where he stands on the DREAM Act — Dreamers’ best chance for permanent protection. The governor has a prominent voice and platform to encourage Sen. Heller and the state’s delegation to get behind the DREAM Act.

The deadline has passed. Talks of a March 2018 deadline are all but bogus claims. It would take at least seven months to implement Dreamer legislation from the date a bill is signed into law. Dreamers and young immigrants all around the country who would qualify for the DREAM Act are being targeted now — just ask Rosa Maria Hernandez, Daniel Ramirez, Riccy Enriquez Perdomo and Jessica Colotl, whose heartbreaking stories have made recent national headlines.

In other words, if Congress enacts legislation to protect Dreamers in December, the first Dreamer to receive status under the new law would be in June or July of 2018 — months after the so-called deadline in March.

Meanwhile, the December spending bill will include funds for immigration enforcement and deportation agents. If Congress does not pass Dreamer legislation in the coming weeks, the Republican-led Congress, including Sen. Heller, will have transformed the year-end spending bill into the Dreamer Deportation Fund.

Gov. Sandoval cannot turn a blind eye. He must do what’s right for his state and constituency and urge Sen. Heller to lead. The governor must grab the mic, put pen to paper and call on his Republican colleague to deliver a solution before the end of the year.

Dreamers are emergency responders, teachers and business owners who contribute to and catalyze our economy and society each and every day. If DACA recipients are removed from Nevada’s workforce, our state stands to lose more than $603 million annually. If the DREAM Act is passed, Nevada stands to gain nearly $1.4 billion annually.

Gov. Sandoval and Sen. Heller should do what is right and smart, both for Nevada and for the country at large, and push for the passage of the DREAM Act by the end of the year. Dreamers and Nevada don’t have time for political games. The clock is ticking, and Dreamers need relief, urgently.

Alicia Contreras is the interim Nevada director or Mi Familia Vota. Follow at @LiciaMia.