For some time, we could find no one to interview for this story. “Dreamers,” the name given to recipients of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) live all around us in Monterey County. But most are too afraid to talk to an unknown outsider. Why? Because it became known in April, 2020 that the information they provided on their DACA applications could be accessed by U.S. immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), placing undocumented members of their families at risk for deportation.
But Pablo Mendez Perez, a 33-year-old, first-generation graduate of Monterey Peninsula College, was willing to speak with us. Mr. Perez is a model DACA recipient, so accomplished that Congressman Jimmy Panetta asked him to attend the 2020 State of the Union speech. He is among the estimated 19,000 Dreamers living in the 17th Congressional District, comprising Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz counties. In other words, they are our neighbors.
Pablo was brought here from Mexico at the age of 13 and worked in the fields alongside his parents until the age of 19. He did not go to high school or even speak English until he was 20. At that point, he decided he wanted another pathway in life, and chose to seek an education. He started going to school at night while still working in the fields. He eventually enrolled at MPC, which offers a full-time schedule for ESL (English as a Second Language) students. Once he was admitted, he moved from King City to Monterey, attending classes at night while working at fast-food restaurant jobs to support himself.
At the age of 33, Perez now holds a degree in Spanish and Communications. He is hoping to go to a four-year college to continue his education in communications and journalism. In the meantime, he is working as an intern for the United Farm Workers Foundation, where he is, among other things, advocating for the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. This law would protect the people he worked within the fields for so many years.
As already mentioned, Congressman Panetta knows how outstanding Pablo is. His invitation to attend the State of the Union Address allowed Pablo to travel the halls of Congress as an honored guest and demonstrate to the very politicians that oppose immigration reform that he and his fellow Dreamers are worth their investment.
“I wanted to show them that we belong in this country, that we want to contribute to it, to improve it, like any other American,” he says. He recognizes some people believe he should not have the right to be here, but “I am not afraid of revealing my DACA status. I have a lot of people behind me, and I am looking forward to my future.”
Although Pablo is the first in his family to graduate from college, he will not be the only one. His sister is studying to be a nurse. “It has been very difficult to live here during these last four years, but it is our job as DACA recipients to work with members of Congress so they will want to help all undocumented people. This is our home, and we want to give back to it.”
DACA Court Challenges
The last four years have brought significant changes in the United States’ immigration policy, most of which have been either controversial or outright divisive. They were brought here as young children by their parents, know only this country as their home, and enjoy enormous support. There are stringent requirements that determine a person’s eligibility for the program. The requirements are based on the applicant’s age, the length of time they have been in the United States, and their current educational status. Once accepted, DACA recipients receive an deferment period, which was initially two years, then shortened to one year, and recently reinstated to two years.
The court challenges to DACA have been numerous; one that reached the Supreme Court attempted to end the program. That challenge resulted in a ruling that the Trump Administration had not adequately explained its reasons and was denied.
In a second case, a New York federal court concluded that the appointment of the Homeland Security secretary, Chad Wolf, who petitioned the court to neuter the program by limiting it to one year and preventing new applicants from applying, was “not an exercise of legal authority.” On December 4th, the third ruling ordered the Trump Administration to immediately and fully restore the program.
Other challenges continue. Republican Attorneys General have asked a federal court in Texas to declare the entire program unlawful.
The battle over DACA will end only when Congress overhauls our immigration policy and provides Dreamers with a citizenship pathway. In the meantime, President Biden has promised to expand DACA protections during his first 100 days in office.
DACA Facts
Today there are an estimated 640,000 DACA recipients in the U.S. Of these, more than 29,000 are healthcare practitioners, 200,000 are working in occupations deemed “essential,” and over 900 have enlisted in the military. They contribute significantly to our economy: over the next ten years, these Dreamers will add as much as $433.4 billion to the GDP and pay $12.3 billion in taxes to support Social Security and Medicare.*
Data vary on how many undocumented people there are in Monterey County, a major destination of immigrants seeking work in agriculture and hospitality. According to records from the Migration Policy Center, as of 2019, almost 22% of Monterey and San Benito counties’ population is composed of non-citizens, the highest of any in California. It is estimated that as many as 20,000 Dreamers live in the 17th Congressional District, comprising Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito Counties.*
Monterey County, the first declared “Dreamers County” in the country, has provided considerable support. Hartnell, CSUMB, and MPC, as well as our K-12 public school systems, maintain Dreamer Centers that offer counseling, connections, and access to financial aid so Dreamers can continue their education. The Monterey County Office of Education offers a robust initiative that provides services to DACA recipients and to undocumented students.
But academic and financial challenges are not the only obstacles Dreamers face. Summer Prather-Smith, MCOE’s Migrant Program Senior Director, describes one of the insurmountable barriers that confront them: they cannot travel outside of U.S. borders, a benefit of citizenship. That makes it impossible for Dreamers to visit family in Mexico, for instance. In many ways, they live in the shadows of the only country they have ever known. So while DACA is a saving grace for so many, only a path to citizenship will relieve their hardship.
Meet S.L.
S.L. is an undocumented seventeen-year-old high school student. He was only a few months away from applying for DACA when the door closed on him. Being undocumented meant that he could not get a green card, which meant he could not work at traditional jobs. To earn money, he has been tutoring a student with severe disabilities for the past year. He is president of a club for undocumented students, all working for the same goal, to become American citizens. He describes a problematic coming-of-age. “I couldn’t live the life of a normal high school student. I was always worried about how I could make a living in this country.” Federally-supported scholarships and internships that citizens have access to were not available to him, but the club has provided much-needed community and support. “We have each other to lean on, and that means a lot.”
He points out that California does offer financial aid to undocumented students, so he is grateful that he lives here. And he is intent on contributing to the country that he so wants to be a part of legally.
He counsels everyone who qualifies to apply for DACA now that the courts have again made it possible. “DACA helps everyone,” he says. “We want what everyone else wants: to make a living and to make a difference.” S.L. is not yet a Dreamer, but he is poised to be. His excitement is palpable and his determination inspiring.
Where to from here?
There is renewed hope that in the new administration a comprehensive immigration bill will finally receive bipartisan support. Congressman Panetta, a member of the Problem Solvers Caucus, a 50-person group in the House divided equally between Democrats and Republicans, is working to make it happen. He repeats a common shared theme: “Dreamers don’t just want to stay here,” he says, “they want to contribute here.”
To emphasize his point, in December, it was announced that the first DACA recipient, Santiago Potes, a resident of Florida, was awarded a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. He attributes his academic success to what he describes as a “rigorous elementary school education” and the mentorship of a teacher who early on recognized his talent. However, if the courts had not ruled to preserve DACA, he says he could not even have applied for the scholarship. When Potes receives his International Relations master’s degree from the University of Oxford, England, he wants to “return to the U.S. either as a national security expert in the Department of State or as a counselor to a senator. I want to use my academic research to help the United States.”
DACA students, like Pablo Mendoza Perez, are examples of how, once given an opportunity, can contribute their talents and use their ambition to achieve and succeed.
*Data provided by the Center for Migration Studies, the Migration Policy Center, and the Public Policy Institute of California.
The authors thank Dr. Ernesto Velez and Summer Prather-Smith of the Monterey County Office of Education for their assistance with this article.
Susan Meister is a journalist, columnist, and community activist living in Pebble Beach. Susan’s writing was recognized with the 2020 Bronze Award for service writing from the Parenting Media Association.
Joel Kestelyn is a sophomore at the University of Washington, studying psychology and pre-law.