For many, the idea of a “pathway to citizenship” for undocumented immigrants is relatively abstract. Elected officials might get asked about it during a debate, and it may show up in the news cycle now and again when lawmakers work on immigration-related legislation on Capitol Hill. But by and large, most people don’t think about it all too often.
I don’t have that luxury. As someone with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status, I have lived in a continual state of uncertainty for most of my life. I was born in Mexico and my family came to Utah when I was 11 months old. Because of that — and even though other members of my family are natural-born U.S. citizens — I am recognized as undocumented under U.S. immigration law. While DACA affords some measure of protection, my legal status could be ripped out from under me on a moment’s notice.
This fear was perhaps most palpable in 2017, when the Trump administration announced its plan to phase out DACA. But make no mistake: For me and thousands of other immigrants in Utah, our undocumented status is a perpetual cloud hanging over our heads. We have been forced to live in uncertainty as presidential administrations, Congress and the courts debate their fate.
This takes an immense toll on a community. As a former organizer with Comunidades Unidas, a non-profit based out of Salt Lake City that works with undocumented individuals, I have spent countless hours working with immigrants who live with the same cloud over their heads that I do. Even as we persevere and contribute to the prosperity of Utah in countless ways, that awareness of our lack of security never truly goes away.
Enough is enough. Procedural and legislative delay is no longer an option. We need permanent protections for undocumented communities, and Utah’s Sen. Mike Lee, Sen. Mitt Romney and Rep. John Curtis can play a crucial role in making it happen.
I’ve seen firsthand just how much momentum there is to enact a pathway to citizenship. From March 12-15, I joined more than 400 other young adults for a youth advocacy conference focused on migration justice in Washington, D.C. Together, we visited more than 90 congressional offices in person and virtually.
Our message was simple — the United States cannot thrive without the security of undocumented individuals. The pandemic made it crystal clear how important our undocumented neighbors are: More than 5 million undocumented essential workers stepped up to the frontlines and made personal sacrifices to keep our nation moving. And what’s more, it’s estimated that citizenship for undocumented immigrants would benefit the United States GDP by at least $1.7 trillion, create more than 400,000 jobs, and overall boost our economic growth immensely.
There’s broad bipartisan support, too. Polls have shown that 70% of voters across party lines favor lasting protections for undocumented communities, and provisions of pathway to citizenship legislation have support from the majority of congressional lawmakers, 1,200 faith leaders and 140 of the nation’s top businesses.
But primarily, the strongest case for a pathway to citizenship is also the simplest: It’s the morally right thing to do. Here in Utah, faith is deeply important to us. A key tenet of our faith is to love our neighbor. We cannot truly live up to that principle if thousands of Utahns are at risk of deportation or separation from their families.
I call on Sens. Romney and Lee and Rep. Curtis to support and pass legislation to provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants this session — and I urge their constituents to amplify this call.
This is a matter of will and leadership. I sincerely hope our lawmakers follow through and do what’s best for Utah and the country.
Salvador Oregon-Torres
Salvador Oregon-Torres is community work-study coordinator for Salt Lake Community College.
