In April, President Donald Trump pledged not to deport undocumented immigrants with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status—aka “Dreamers”—telling the more than 875,000 people brought to the U.S. illegally as children that they should “rest easy.”
I go into Pilsen and Back of the Yards to reach out to community members, helping them get knowledge. Aside from the education part of it, we are really making sure that we’re protecting one another in these very uncertain times. I’m not just defending myself and my parents, who are undocumented, but our larger community in Chicago. We’re going to be stronger together.
I was also starting to get settled and think long-term about my life in Chicago, but now in the back of my mind I think about the “What if?” What if I get deported? What if my parents get deported? I’ve really started to cut back in my spending to increase my savings. But I do still treat myself to coffee pretty much every day, because I still want to enjoy my life.
This interview was conducted as part of the storytelling project 90 Days, 90 Voices.
