Hello friend — This is a longer email, but I want to share my DACA story with you and I hope you’ll keep reading.
My name is Frida, and I immigrated to the United States when I was only 10 years old. My mother, sister, and I left everything behind to follow my father and start a new life.
It was one of the most memorable — but scariest — experiences of my childhood. We knew we were risking everything, our lives included. But it was worth it, because it meant I would finally get to see my dad, who had immigrated to the US the year before.
Arriving in the US was like entering a whole new world, learning a new language and a new culture. I grew up ashamed — bullied for my thick accent and scared of revealing that I was undocumented out of fear of deportation. It felt like living in the shadows.
As I got older, it was clear I wasn’t like my friends. I couldn't go on field trips outside of the state, I couldn't get a driver’s license or even get a job to make my own money, all because I was missing a simple document.
Then, when I was 14, everything changed. My dad was deported. It's been 12 years since I've seen him.
My mom was left to take care of me and my sister as a single mother. It was very difficult for my mom, so I started teaching dance classes to help her as much as I could. We used to sell light trinkets in the corner of a park, sometimes in freezing cold conditions, but we needed the money for rent or even just for food.
At the park, we became friends with a security guard named Zuri. One day, Zuri and I got talking about the DACA program – I shared how DACA would change my life by allowing me to secure a work permit so I could get a more stable job to support my family. But we couldn’t afford the cost of the application fee, keeping it a distant dream.
Days later, Zuri came to me and said he had something for me. He handed me $600 for my DACA application. I cried, hugged him, thanked him, and applied for my DACA right away. A few months later, I finally got my work permit.
With DACA, I was able to get a social security card and a license. I was able to buy my own car, get a good, stable job and even join acting school.
DACA changed my life and opened opportunities to me that were beyond my belief. It took me out of the shadows and gave me a voice. Now, I am proud of where I come from and my story. But although DACA has changed my life, it is not enough.
Unfortunately, my sister and my mom are not protected by DACA. My sister applied for DACA under Trump's presidency, but just when she filed and paid for her application, the Trump administration shut down the program for new applicants. When DACA was reopened under the Biden administration, my sister applied again — only to be denied as Judge Hanen’s decision shut down the program once more last summer.
DACA has changed my life for the better, but it is clear that is not enough for millions of families like mine. The program has been in limbo for the past 10 years without real answers or solutions, just empty promises. That’s why I've decided to take a stand and fight for permanent protections — and I want you to join me.
If you’re able, please make a donation to support United We Dream Action’s critical work fighting for permanent protections for DACA recipients and undocumented families like mine. With your help, we can achieve the permanent solutions that our communities deserve.
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Thank you for allowing me to share my story. For me and my sister and many like us, this country is all we know. This is home and we're not going anywhere, we're here to stay!
Frida, United We Dream Action
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