Dreamers are your neighbors, your co-workers, your friends, your classmates, your fellow ward and church members, and they are under attack. Donald Trump has moved to repeal DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). Nearly 10,000 Utahns have received DACA. They have been vetted, have educational or military qualifications and provide tremendous benefits to our state. If DACA is repealed, Utah will lose $500 million every year.
To respect the sacrifices so many of our ancestors made so that we could benefit from U.S. citizenship, we must urge our elected officials to support DACA. The persecuted settlers who arrived in this valley in 1847 found safe harbor in what was then Mexico. They struggled to build a community after enduring immense hardship. The quality of life we enjoy is a testament to them.
Many DACA recipients and undocumented immigrants also fled instability and terror to find safety in Utah. One of the literal four pillars of the Utah Capitol contains a statue of “Immigration,” represented by a woman and child. The child holds the earth in her hands. Urge your elected representatives to allow all immigrant children and young people to fulfill that promise.
Laura Bandara
Salt Lake City