Hi John, it's Antonio, NextGen's Vice President of Communications. Recent polls say that immigration is one of the key issues driving young voters to the polls so I wanted to share my own immigrant story and urge you to tell Congress to pass the American Dream and Promise Act.

When I ask friends about their earliest memories, I hear a lot of sweet stories about playing childhood games and their family traditions.

My first memory was crossing the border.

I was just three years old and didn’t understand what was happening. But from the moment I entered this country, I carried a title that followed and tried to limit me in every way possible: Undocumented.

That title, and the stigma that comes with it, taught me a hard lesson. While this country claims to be the land of opportunity and justice for all, that promise is conditional and subject to change.

Still, despite that lesson, loving America is all I’ve ever known.

When President Obama introduced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, I jumped at the chance to finally experience what it’s like to have this country recognize my humanity. Thanks to DACA, I was able to get a driver’s license and Social Security card, go to college, and get a job.

But DACA was a temporary fix, not a permanent solution, John. And the process of qualifying for it is traumatic.

Every two years, thousands of DACA recipients undergo the humiliating process of being evaluated by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to prove that they belong here. Their fingerprints and mugshot taken as if they were being booked into jail. And still, after all that, work permits aren't a guarantee. The only thing that's certain is that dreamers live a life in limbo, at the mercy of politicians who at times only seem to care about fanning the flames of hate and discrimination.

I don’t tell you all this to make you feel sorry for me, John. I’m telling you this because I’ve been fighting for a decade to make sure people like me get the legal protection they deserve. And I refuse to be quiet while politicians bargain with our futures.

Thank you,

Antonio Arellano
Vice President of Communications
NextGen America