The future of Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program is now at the mercy of Donald Trump, but one DREAMer is using her voice to address the administration’s ongoing crackdown on immigration.
According to The Huffington Post, Astrid Silva was brought to the United States as an undocumented child but has been permitted to remain in the country, thanks to DACA. As a guest of first-ever Latina senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), the Mexican native not only attended the president’s first address to Congress, but responded with a speech of her own as well.
“I’m here representing Democrats, Latinos and 11 million undocumented immigrants who are an integral part of this country and who embody the values and the promise of America, the same ones that President Trump is threatening with his mass deportation plan,” the immigration advocate said in Spanish. “Instead of separating families, President Trump should pass comprehensive immigration reform that honors our country’s tradition of welcoming immigrants.”