Waiting for Reform

Hodias Lopez, owner of a small landscaping business in Santa Fe, left his family and old friends in Guatemala to come to live in America.  An active participant in Somos un Pueblo Unido, a statewide community-based and immigrant-led organization that promotes worker and racial justice, 27-year-old  Hodias Lopez doesn't hold back.

"Obama has brought up a lot of topics that need to be addressed. The American people need to be woken up," he says. "American's immigration system is broken. The president is taking executive action to fix what he can to help build a system that lives up to our heritage as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants."

Ivanna Hernandez, a senior who just graduated from The Masters Program, an early college charter school on the campus of Santa Fe Community College, says she's "in the middle" when it comes to her opinion of the national policy.

On June 15, 2012, President Obama enacted the DACA program, which stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, allowing certain youth who were brought to the United States as children a type of temporary permission to stay in the US. Deferred action allows children to apply for a visa and study without the fear of getting deported back to their home country.

"I don't know whether to believe everything that the Obama Administration is saying they are planning to do. I wish that these immigration rights can be situated in a fair manner where it ends up being a win-win situation," she says. 

In November of 2014, Obama tried, and is still trying, to extend the DACA program with something called DAPA, or Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents Program, designed to allow undocumented parents of children who were born in the United States to stay here temporarily. However, the parents must have lived here for five or more years, be willing to pay taxes and undergo a criminal background check.  

Lopez says many believe it doesn't go far enough.

"I don't agree with DAPA program," he says. "There are about 3 or 4 million people that don't qualify and they've been living in the US. Like I said, we want an immigration reform for all, except criminals, but that's my opinion." 

Although DAPA grew from the already existing DACA program, political opposition remains. Judge Andrew S Hanen of the US District Court in Brownsville, Texas, ruled against the idea in a case where 26 states sued the Obama Administration over the program.

Hernandez, student at The Masters Program, says, "I feel like there should be more going on so that the Republicans can see that this (DACA Program) can be a positive [step forward]". 

When asked if he thought that Obama is doing everything he can do to push programs forward, disregarding the fact that many Republicans aren't on board, Jared Lucero, junior at Santa Fe Preparatory school says, "I do think so, especially because he didn't go to Congress in asking them for devotion to his program…By going to Congress and putting this up for a bill, it would create more tension between the two parties, but by making his executive decision the message came out as more powerful and straight forward."

Hernandez seems to have a similar opinion. "I believe he is. A man only has certain power," she says, "there is always more room for more but if he is doing his best, then that's all that we need right now."

Santa Fe Reporter