Hi John, 10 years ago today, President Obama introduced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. It’s given hundreds of thousands of young people a chance to live and work in the U.S. – including myself and my colleague Santiago, pictured above. My family owned several businesses in El Salvador. Our wealth attracted the attention of gang members – and one day, they kidnapped my father and grandfather. We emptied our bank accounts to free them, but the violence didn’t stop, so we came to the U.S. on tourist visas. Without DACA, I wouldn’t have been able to graduate with a Master’s degree or work for Save the Children Action Network championing kids’ rights. But DACA’s fate is uncertain – and so is my future. Send a message to Congress: We must extend permanent protections to all undocumented people seeking safety and opportunity in the U.S. John, Santiago also lived in constant fear of deportation before DACA. His family came to the U.S. on visitor visas when he was just 9 years old. They hired a lawyer to help them become permanent residents, but he took their money and submitted a bogus application. When his family moved back to Ecuador years later, they asked him to come with them. He knew they wouldn’t be allowed to return to the U.S. for a decade, but his future was here – so he stayed behind by himself, rented a room and graduated with honors. DACA allowed him to pursue a career fighting for immigrant and children’s rights at Save the Children – and for the first time in 10 long years, he recently got to see his parents and little brother again. DACA might be temporary, but Dreamers like us are here to stay. It’s time to find a permanent solution for us and the millions of people across the nation who could be ripped away from home at a moment’s notice. Urge Congress to work toward a just immigration system that protects Dreamers, their families and every undocumented person! | 
