OPINION —To be a Dreamer is to be a person without a home.
As a child I was brought from a foreign country into this land before I could even speak. My whole life I have been raised and educated to love and respect all this nation stands for. In school I learned to be grateful for all the challenges the Founding Fathers and countless others have faced in order to establish this great country. Every lesson, every pledge of allegiance, every day fostered my pride in this nation in which we are all equals, and no human life is valued superior to another.
For nearly all my life I have rejoiced in the freedom and safety of this nation and yearn desperately to call it home. But that’s just it; this is not my home.
On Nov. 8th of 2016 this nation voted Donald J. Trump as the next POTUS. A cornerstone of his campaign calls for the deportation of over 11 million illegal immigrants. As part of this he would also end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Under DACA, Dreamers in the similar situations as myself are provided with temporary legal presence in the U.S. to seek Higher Education, and work without the fear of being deported; in many cases to a land they have never known.
A part of me advocates for an end to protests and riots over the election results and instead calls for this nation to stand united and support the president elected by the people.
I genuinely believe that it is in our best interests to collaborate regardless of political affiliation and work to improve the future status of America, but how can I rally behind a nation and a leader who are opposed to my very presence?
“If you don’t like it go back to your own country” I read on nearly every social media outlet.
I am no rapist, murderer or a “Bad Hombre” as Mr. Trump describes illegals. In fact I agree that there are a number of illegal individuals constantly breaking the law and being detrimental to society who should not be allowed to remain unchecked.
When it comes to national security, established borders and legal process are imperative to protect this nation.
Now I am not a criminal; just a young adult who has known no other nation as home, who fears for the well-being of my friends and family, and who above all else strives to one day undergo the legal measures necessary to become a citizen and gain the ability to vote and support leaders who will Keep America Great.
This nation has not reached it’s zenith, the American dream is not dead, it remains the beacon of hope that drives countless people to leave all they hold dear in search of a better future for themselves and their posterity.
I was informed by my Hispanic close friend earlier today (Nov. 10) that she had been called into her daughter’s school because her 6 year-old American-born child had been harassed by a classmate who said that he’s glad her (sic) and her family were getting deported.
Please, be considerate of how you speak and how you express your sentiment regarding immigrants legal or not, especially to your children. The point of this letter is to remind all that how we treat others is the mark of who we are, all I ask is that we do not build a future on hate.
Pray for America, her leaders, and may God bless us all.
Submitted by Roberto Jardon of Saint George.
Ed. note: Immigrants brought here illegally as kids are known as Dreamers or are called Dreamers by their advocates. The term generally refers to those who have been given protection under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Letters to the Editor are not the product or opinion of St. George News and are given only light edit for technical style and formatting. The matters stated and opinions given are those of and the responsibility of the person submitting them.
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You are safe for now dreamer, as long as you are not an illegal committing crimes. Stop crying and take the steps to become a citizen then you wont have to worry. 🙂 Merry Christmas
What a selfish response bug. I would not wish that on you, but I think you need to walk in dreamers shoes before you stab him in the heart for being an immigrant.
Awwww Mr theone was there something wrong with suggesting becoming a citizen so he won’t have to worry? I guarantee if I went to another country illegally, I would be locked up. That’s me putting on his shoes.
And have you been in his shoes, or tried to assimilate into another country? Yeah I didn’t think so.
The only reason why you hate me theone is because I love Jesus. Stop hating me please and let me have my free speech to say Jesus. Merry Christmas Theone.
I don’t hate you bug, nor do I hate Jesus, it is impossible to hate someone who never existed.
Thanks for not hating me for loving Jesus!
You can’t see what you can’t see. So how do know if Jesus is real if you cant see. If your blind you can’t see it doesn’t mean Jesus in not there just because you can’t see. The only way to see him is through eyes of faith. You can’t see him if you don’t believe.
Peace Theone. Have a great week!
People are becoming legalized citizens every day because they took the time to get it done dreamer. so get it done and go on about your business
For several years now and mostly throughout the election process, the undocumented immigrant issue has been a huge topic for debate.
So I’ve often wondered the opposite scenario with Americans going to another country.
What nation allows Americans to just appear in their country and then receive healthcare, food stamps, free college, ID or Drivers License, assume citizen status, etc… at the cost of the residents of that particular country ??? And, the politicians of that country engage in fierce debates as to whether or not that is acceptable or not.
Why does the USA have to be the worlds police force and (currently) freely accept undocumented immigrants???
I would be curious to know an answer to that.
In our constitution it says “all men are created equal”, and we all have the right in the pursuit of happiness. That’s why we afford all to have the opportunity to live this dream. Pretty simple really. Oh, and the framers weren’t thinking in terms of excluding certain people like most other countries do.
Actually………. The Declaration of Independence says “all men are created equal” and also the “pursuit of happiness ” phrases you mentioned. You won’t find those phrases in the Constitution of the United States.
After the founders “declared independence ” they went on the write laws and rules for our country to follow as we grew and followed the Constitution that was adopted. Many elected officials, including many presently holding office, have forgotten the oath they took to uphold the Constitution which has left us in this current dilemma regarding immigrants. Do we follow current law, or do we make it up as we go so we can feel good about ourselves and not hurt anyone’s feelings.
The law is what it is and sometimes it hurts feelings.
Ummm, the Declaration of independence is part of the constitution. Thanks for joining in though.
Actually theone LastDays is right. They are two separate documents. The Declaration of Independence is a Declaration of War against Great Britain composed in 1776. The Constitution is a set of laws accepted by the colonies in, if memory serves, 1791. Prior to the constitution we had the Articles of the Confederation. I’d need to double check my sources but I believe that the southern states adopted an amended version of the Articles when they seceded from the Union in the 1860s.
Stop feeling sorry for yourself and find a way to make sure you can stay legally and become an American citizen. I know of several paths myself, but if you really want to further yourself, instead of pity yourself, then YOU will find those paths. For your information, Spanish is my FIRST language, so don’t try and throw the race card in my face. Get off your butt and start working for what you want.
When you with the dream. As long as there are greedy businessmen there’ll always be slave labor and immigrants. The US government could stop this instantly by charge of felony accounts to anyone. Many US employers to pay benefits and a decent living wage and insist on hiring illegals
Mr Theone, you may not be aware of my comments for the last 4 years so I will say it again. The father of my 5 year twin grandbabies is illegal. He was brought over by his parents when he was a small child. I was shocked and pissed because my daughter was 15 and he was 16 at the time. They are 20 and 21 now, respectively and no longer together and live in different states.
However, he finds it easier to use someone else’s social security number and use a fake immigration card (I see a couple crimes there) than to become legal. My daughter doesn’t get child support because she would rather protect him than have the system find out hes illegal (at least that’s what it looks like). Disgusting! He has married a US citizen 6 months ago.
Mr Theone wear my shoes.
You know who’s feeding my grandbabies? You, the US citizen tax payer. Wouldn’t it be better if the illegal father became a US citizen and paid taxes and supported and fed his own children? Because right now he’s making good money and not paying a dime in taxes or child support all because he’s illegal. Not fair to me, to you, or to every other hard working, tax paying US citizen.
Mr Theone, are you able to get your foot in my shoes?
Sounds a bit like your daughter was to young to see a loser in front of her. His status means nothing considering how many losers are born and bread here. I too have seen this type in divorce court, and all were home bread, so your point is mute.
Yes there are a millions US citizen fathers that don’t pay child support or taxes but the only reason he doesn’t is because he’s illegal and using fake documents.
Theone, you can be the leader for the illegal immigrants support group.
You must be fascinated by me and find me irresistible and mysterious because you didn’t call anyone else on here selfish.
Merry Christmas!
OK Dreamer…..
You want to be part of this United States? You have two alternatives:
1. Do the right thing and go through the process that millions have done to become a legal citizen.
or
2. Continue to blame your parents, fight the system, and prepare to be deported.
People like you, thrive on the emotions of others to usher you into citizenship through unearned amnesty.
Man up, get your citizenship strategy going, and become a citizen the way the law has outlined.
When you do finally take the oath of citizenship, you will be the model for others to do the right thing, you will be respected by others and you’ll never have to look over your shoulder.
When people start realizing and understanding the strain that illegals put on this country, then they’ll start realizing that they should have voted for Trump.
Think of what a positive impact that a bright young person such as this could have on his native country. Let’s be realistic, countrys south of the border are not that bad. It’s not as if they’re sending him back to syria or somewhere in africa. Be proud of your native land, take that spirit of perserverance and go back and make a positive impact for the people of your native country
On a separate note, does anyone here have any data on what percentage of Utah’s prison inmates are non-citizen foreign nationals?
Bob is that you?
Yeah it’s him. ..
This article feels like a plant… trying to cause trouble where there is none. If you love this country so much do what everyone else said and become a citizen. No one is going to throw out someone who is working, being a decent citizen, and in process to become a legal American. Newcomers need to be vetted and the whole immigration process needs to be done more efficiently and quickly. Hopefully that is what Trump will accomplish.
All “dreamers” need to have a conversation with the parents that placed them in this predicament. The person or people responsible should be held accountable. Let’s place blame where it belongs. Maybe the parent(s) should be deported and if they have obtained their citizenship, and not their childs, it should be revoked.
I hope you’re one of the first deported. One less useless illegal whiner. If you haven’t figured it out yet I have zero sympathy for illegals so save you breath.
Ask any prosecutor would do in this situation. A man and a woman with a 18 month old child at her side rob a bank and, in the process, a bank guard is shot and killed. The crime goes unsolved for 17 years. At the age of 18 a young man is arrested and charged with bank robbery and first degree murder. He, it can be proved, was the 18 month old child that was being held during the bank robbery. Now, I ask you, what prosecutor would prosecute this 18 year old adult? Are you kidding? He would be laughed out of the court room! No one can be charged for a crime that was committed by parents of a child. The child know nothing. The child is not of the age to consent. The child is innocent. The prominent religion of this area claims that a child can not sin until he/she is eight years old. He/she can not break the law or be an “illegal”. In spite of that fact, many refer to this individual as an “illegal” and call for him/her to be deported as punishment for a crime that he/she did not commit. Tell me, how is it just to punish him/her for a crime that his parents committed? How would YOU feel if you suddenly found out that YOU were born outside the United States and are now going to be deported to a country in which you never lived, which speaks a language that you don’t speak, in which you have no family, friends, home, or hope of finding employment. Yet, this is exactly what happens to many high school seniors each year when they try to apply for college and their parents break the news to them. They have no documents. Personally, I feel that these people are exactly who we want to KEEP in our country. I call for an immediate path to citizenship for them if they have lived in the US since childhood, attended our grade and high schools, have graduated from high school or served in the military. Our immigration system has been broken for many years. Dreamers are not responsible for the situation in which they find themselves. I call for our representatives to pass sensible immigration laws.
I’ve been a Dreamer for many, many years,… Dreaming of a day when America would return to a Real Law and Order Country and stop using my hard earned tax dollars to pay for a illegal alien of any race to elude deportation and to reward that lawlessness with welfare for a roof over their head, food for them and their families and school for their anchor babies, a Drivers license, and even In state college tuition! ( something that my own family who live outside this state cannot receive ) all this from my and working American’s Tax monies….Enough is enough! ….My Dream came true on November 8th…..Real Law and Order is coming 1/21/2017….the laws already on the books and ignored by our bought and paid for Congress and President will soon be readopted and enforced, nothing as to immigration laws was ever broken, only ignored… the main stream middle class, hard working American was also ignored, that is until now …..we’ll soon have a President who isn’t on the take, or beholding to any special interest lobbyists to fight for our rights and livelihoods and term limits to these crooks whom “Govern” us…They all forgot that they work for “We The People” and not the other way around… Put Americans First, Make America Great Again….
Roberto,
The way I see it, you have 2 options:
1) stop “dreaming” and start working on becoming a legal citizen NOW! or;
2) Get out NOW!
I don’t care that you were brought here as a child before you could even speak. I don’t care that your parents never did the work to become citizens like many millions of others before them. You are an adult now and everyone has stories. Get over it. You say in your letter that you strive to become a citizen one dayso let me ask you this, WHATS HOLDING YOU BACK?
Before anyone accuses me of being ‘racist’ or whatever; know this, My great grandparents were immigrants. They came here before World War 1 and spoke no English. Because they didn’t speak English and weren’t citizens, the only jobs they could find were low paying menial jobs they hated. There was no such thing as Welfare or the Dream Act back then so if they didn’t work, they didn’t eat. They worked those jobs to earn money while they learned English and became citizens. When that was accomplished they started their own business. By the time my grandmother was born in 1921, they were wealthy and well respected LEGAL U.S Citizens.
You tell em Rainbow! Your ancestors are great examples of obtaining U.S. citizenship
I see these pathetic stories about reparations for slavery holding some responsable for the sins of their ancestors 250 years ago. Maybe dreamers should hold their parents responsable for bringing them illeagally into the country 20 years ago.
At the end of the day I think all of Obama’s “dreamer” kids should be deported, or they could do all us taxpayers a favor and do mitt romney’s idea of ‘self-deportation’. lol, don’t let the door hit ya on the way out 😉
In the short term there’ll be a shortage of lawn maintenance crews and collision repair workers, but I have a feeling that will sort itself out very quickly.
Yeah maybe you can come up with another one of your idiotic conspiracy theories eh Bob ?
I’m loving the name Christmas Bob!
It doesn’t change the hateful bigot that he is
Come on Dot! Be nice! It’s Chritmas Bob! He’s full of hope and conspiracies (they are not all theories) and joy!
Get a clue people. Not one of you even know what our immigration laws are. If you did you would support immigration reform. There are spouses of United States citizens that have no way to obtain legal status under our current immigration laws because of factors that are so stupid it’s insane. If they have crossed the border more than once without a visa they must return to their home country for a minimum 10 years before they can apply for a Waiver (Pardon). It’s easy when you haven’t even studied our immigration laws to tell people to take care of business and do the paperwork to become legal. A large majority of dreamers were brought here without a visa and so not even marriage to a United States citizen allows them to become a Legal Permanent Resident without leaving the country and applying for a Waiver (Pardon) of their illegal presence time. What if they aren’t in a hurry to get married then what? What if they aren’t willing to enter into a fraudulent marriage like many people do in order to obtain legal status fraudulently? Well the reality is there is no other way for a Dreamer to become legal unless they are a victim of a crime or they’ve been involved in the gangs, drugs or other crimes and they turn states evidence in exchange of an S Visa (which I refer to as the snitch visa). Do we really want the criminals to become legal just because they snitch on other criminals? In reality it is easier for a terrorist to get an investor visa and come here by investing $250,000 to $500,000 in a business that provides jobs than it is for a Dreamer to become legal without marrying a citizen and jumping through a crap load of hoops and even then there is no guarantee the waiver will be approved. Unless they are one of the lucky ones that their parents got them a visitors visa before they brought them here. If it’s not approved then it’s 10 years before they can come back to the US. Waivers are only available do to the hardship on a legal parent or spouse. Hardship to US born children is irrelevant.
I’m all for ending illegal immigration, but the way to do it is dry up their ability to get jobs. Those that come here illegally do so to survive because they aren’t making it in their country and here they can get jobs. Continuing to punish the poor hard working immigrants will never reverse the illegal immigration problem, we will deport some and others will come and take their place and their jobs. But as soon as they can’t get jobs and we hold the employers accountable for hiring them they will go home all on their own because they can’t survive without a job. Although as soon as we do that it will tank the economy because many work jobs Americans refuse to do. In Idaho on the farms there are workers known as “Rock Pickers” they spend all day everyday picking up and moving rocks that are in the way. I don’t know one American born, raised and educated person that is going to do that job. We need to fix the immigration system to bring the workers here that we need legally and pass laws that keep families together.
We have criminals (that commit crime after crime) here from countries like Afghanistan and Iran that we allow to stay because their life would be in danger if they returned to their country, but we have spouses of United States citizens that have never committed a crime in their life but are unable to stay here legally. (Their only crime is their parents brought them here illegally before they had a say in the matter). There is something wrong with this picture.
It is a misconception that illegals aren’t paying taxes. The majority are paying taxes in fact they pay more taxes than Trump does. Another misconception is although they can get food stamps for their US born children they can’t not get food stamps for themselves or any of their illegal children.
That’s not my problem. Stop illegal immigration. Deport the illegals committing crimes! And then we will talk about the Dreamers that are law abiding (other than fake documents and using dead people’s social security numbers, crap those are major crimes and their parents taught them!) Ohhhhhh please, many get legal. I know some and they are great people. So, how did they do it if it’s soooooo hard. They worked hard to get it.
Hey! I want to live the American dream too. It ain’t easy being a white woman in a racist world where I can’t get a job because I’m not part of the quota to hire certain races to make it appear there’s no discrimination.
We are all immigrants. This was Native American land that was invaded by white people. Touche’
Here we are in 2016. If there are open boarders then there is no country. There is United States of America…..new name….United States of Mexica?