DACA recipient: Obama could have done more

BELTMONT, Calif. – Viewing parties were held all over the country for President Barack Obama’s speech on immigration, and a number of those who watched gave their approval.

Dean Santos, a Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient, was at work, but was monitoring events on his smartphone.

Santos felt a bit let down by the executive actions of Obama.

“I think it’s great we are moving away from the politics of hate and inclusion, but I’m also disappointed that the reform is very limited,” said Santos. “Only a few people are going to benefit from it and it also leads to further criminalization of the immigrant communities.”

Santos is a member of ASPIRE, which is an undocumented student-led organization. He was one of about 1.7 million undocumented youth who were temporarily allowed to stay and work in the US.

He feels that President Obama excluded an important group.

“I think one of the most biggest disappointed within the undocumented immigrant youth that’s organizing, is that parents of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival beneficiaries are not included,” said Santos.

Santos outlined four recommendation points:

• Prioritize comprehensive immigration reform

• Broaden relief to more undocumented immigrants

• Streamline the backlog

• Stop mass deportations

“I’ve been inside the detention facility,” said the DACA recipient. “I’ve been through deportation proceedings. It hurts. It affects your family. It affects your friends. It affects your community. I think separating people from their community is inhumane.”

The president said that he will make it easier for foreign students who graduate with advanced degrees from US universities to work temporarily in the United States. Santos says while this too is good, it doesn’t benefit all undocumented students.

“I think it’s a way to divide our communities to frame who is welcomed and who isn’t,” said Santos.
Santos knows there is still much more work to be done.

“He could have done more, but we’ll take what we can,” he added.

After the midterm elections, Santos felt that immigration reform was a “dead cause,” but today he has regained some hope in pushing for immigration reform.