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U.S. Supreme Court DACA Ruling Leaves Arizona 'DREAMers' Feeling Relieved

By Steve Goldstein, Lauren Gilger
Published: Thursday, June 18, 2020 - 3:17pm
Updated: Friday, June 19, 2020 - 8:55am

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Claudia De La Rosa Cortez
Claudia De La Rosa Cortez
Claudia De La Rosa Cortez.

STEVE GOLDSTEIN: So what does the [Supreme Court DACA ruling] mean for Dreamers who have anxiously been awaiting the decision? Joining us is Claudia de la Rosa Cortez. She's a DACA recipient and a recent Grand Canyon University graduate. Claudia, how did you feel when you first heard about the ruling this morning? And what has this uncertainty been like for you?

CLAUDIA DE LA ROSA CORTEZ: My first reaction was, I was kind of shocked. I couldn't believe it, so I was like reading everything that I could online. And I was like, "Oh my God, it actually went, it went good." So I was kind of excited about that. And then I was just like, I just kept reading, reading. And I was like, "It's happening. It's real." The uncertainty. It's just, it's been nerve-wracking. Like, you know, everyday it's like, "Are they going to make the decision today? Are they not?" So it's just kind of like, today, I didn't even think it was going to be decision day today.

GOLDSTEIN: So how have you been able to manage your life and the lives of people you love with this sort of hanging over you? Knowing that your experience is such that you're in, in many ways an American and yet people are sort of — you know, there's been that that phrase "political hot potato." Have you felt like that? You feel like you've been in the middle of all that?

Claudia De La Rosa Cortez
Claudia De La Rosa Cortez
Claudia De La Rosa Cortez is a DACA recipient and recent Grand Canyon University graduate. She says she was shocked and excited that the DACA program will continue.

DE LA ROSA CORTEZ: Yes. It's hard. Especially — I have younger siblings. So for me, it's always like, I try to be positive so they don't see that. And it's just like, it's hard. Like, there's like no words. Like I don't even know how to put it into words. It's hard because it's just something that you do. It comes naturally and it's just like, it's overwhelming but you just got to do it.

GOLDSTEIN: Either at an emotional or practical level, what is it been like for you to be a DACA recipient? What sort of difference has that made for you and your life?

DE LA ROSA CORTEZ: Emotionally, I think it's hard. A lot of people say this. I feel like you have to work extra hard than some other people in a way, just to prove yourself to, like, prove yourself that you're kind of like worthy of being considered kind of like an American, you know? I feel like I have to do everything right so that I don't, I don't mess up, and I don't think that we're 'bad people,' how they say. So I feel like we just have that pressure to be good and do everything right.

GOLDSTEIN: And from a practical standpoint, has it afforded you certain opportunities that you wouldn't have otherwise had or has that been a mixed bag as well?

DE LA ROSA CORTEZ: No, definitely I've had amazing opportunities. I was able to get a scholarship to go to GCU, because there was no way that I could  have afforded university, not being able to work. And just that alone was like a big blessing for me. I actually graduated in April and I was able to do all that because of DACA. Otherwise, I don't think I've ever — I couldn't have dreamed of that because I know I couldn't have afforded it.

GOLDSTEIN: What are you looking for next? We've heard from a number of people already today. You know, they put out press releases, they respond to things, and even some who are supportive are saying, "Well, OK, but it's still up to Congress to come up with a permanent solution for that." I don't want to take away from from you feeling great. Obviously, this, this ruling just happened this morning. But in terms of the bigger picture, how important is it for this to be cemented in law that Congress actually comes up with something specific beyond the executive order that went into effect?

DE LA ROSA CORTEZ: So I think it's very important. Like you said, it's a win. But it's also, I feel like kind of a small victory because there's still like that chance that something else could happen. And I think, like, if they actually passed like an immigration reform that can benefit us so that we're not in limbo again, because I feel like even though with this victory, we still feel like we're in limbo. So we need that. We need that certainty to be there so that we know that we're really going to be able to stay here and continue to provide for our families, for everybody, for ourselves. So I think that's important.

GOLDSTEIN: Well, Claudia, congratulations and stay well. Thanks so much for the time this morning.

DE LA ROSA CORTEZ: Thank you. You guys have a good day.

LAUREN GILGER: Let's turn now to another Dreamer about what the ruling means to him. We're joined now by Luis Acosta-Herrera. He is the chief strategist at Element, a local public affairs firm. Good morning, Luis.

LUIS ACOSTA-HERRERA: Good morning.

GILGER: So how are you feeling this morning? What is your reaction?

ACOSTA-HERRERA: Oh man, I am feeling like a million bucks. This massive weight has been lifted off my shoulders and off the shoulders of many like me. And it's just, I'm in a little bit of shock, honestly.

GILGER: Were you expecting this outcome, particularly from this court?

ACOSTA-HERRERA: Oh, no, absolutely not. No. Myself, along with my, my friends who are in the legal profession, we were expecting a decision that would let the program sunset, and then in two years or so, immediate proceedings would begin to remove folks from the country. That's what we were expecting.

GILGER: So you have been preparing for that for the last couple years?

Luis Acosta-Herrera
Element Public Affairs
Luis Acosta-Herrera is the chief strategist at Element, a local public affairs firm, and also a Dreamer.

ACOSTA-HERRERA: Absolutely, yeah. Since 2017, we've been kind of just having general conversations on what that would look like and what we could do locally to protect folks in our situation.

GILGER: So tell us about sort of how you've tackled this kind of uncertainty for a couple of years. It sounds like you've really jumped into the political arena.

ACOSTA-HERRERA: Yeah, absolutely, I mean, we all know that there's an opportunity to make change at the federal level. And my path to making that change has been through politics and electing folks who are aligned and making sure that those folks are the ones who are going to be pushing legislation to really fix this issue around needing comprehensive immigration reform.

GILGER: Why was that the approach you wanted to take? It sounds like it was important for you to be proactive in this.

ACOSTA-HERRERA: Yeah. No, I mean, look. When we look at all the issues that are affecting our country, specifically immigration in this specific instance, the 700,000 or so Dreamers that are on the line and are working contributing to their local economy, contributing to the local communities — we're just a segment of a greater community. There are still folks like my parents who have been in this country as long as I have and have paid taxes, have worked diligently, have been good, upstanding citizens — and they haven't been able to really come out of the shadows yet. So we need this this holistic solution.

GILGER: Yeah. So let's talk more about that in the minutes we have left. We just heard Steve ask Claudia about how she wants to see that play out. But obviously, this isn't over. What's next for you? How do you how does your work sort of continue now?

ACOSTA-HERRERA: Yeah. I mean, look, we're in the middle of an election cycle, right? 2020 is the biggest year for folks on our side of the aisle. And I think that it starts with the presidential race and making sure that we elect Mr. Biden and then working down the ballot and ensuring that Mr. Mark Kelly is elected and then going to the legislature, ensuring that we flip at least one of the chambers here locally. It's only until we do that and we get folks who understand that we are immigrants, dreamers. We are people who want to give back to this great country. It's until we get those folks into office that we will see proper and effective change.

GILGER: Yeah. Last question for you, Luis, before we let you go. What are you hearing from fellow Dreamers this morning? What's the conversation like?

ACOSTA-HERRERA: You know, I've seen a lot of tears, honestly, a lot of tears. This was completely unexpected. People didn't expect this. And honestly, we've all been preparing for the worst, trying especially during this pandemic, saving our money just in case we needed to hire or retain legal protections or, sorry, attorneys. But, yeah, I mean, it's been a lot of tears, a lot of shock, and I'm sure there'll be some celebration tonight.

GILGER: All right. That is Luis Acosta-Herrera. He is the chief strategist at Element, a local public affairs firm and a DACA recipient. Luis, thank you so much for joining us this morning.

ACOSTA-HERRERA: Absolutely. Thank you.

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