Campaign Action
Immigrants aren’t stealing jobs, they’re creating them. According to 2016 research from the Center for American Progress, “among the American public as a whole, the rate of starting a business is 3.1 percent, meaning that DACA recipients are outpacing the general population in terms of business creation.” Among these young and vibrant entrepreneurs is Diego Corzo, a 27-year-old Dreamer who came to the U.S. from Peru when he was just nine.
Like hundreds of thousands of immigrant youth like him, Corzo grew up here and was educated here, graduating third in his high school class and earning degrees in information technology and management of information systems from Florida State University. But like hundreds of thousands of other immigrant youth like him, his future is up in the air unless Congress acts on the DREAM Act, and by the end of this month:
Two years ago, Corzo and a business partner opened a real estate franchise in Austin and he started selling houses.
"As a real estate entrepreneur, having a driver's license is crucial to my business and to my livelihood. Without a license, I can't drive to show houses to my clients. I can't bring business into my company," he said, noting that his business sells between 80 and 100 homes a year. "It's details like these about our situation that don't occur to most people."
Corzo's DACA status expires in May 2019. He plans on staying in the U.S., but "I will live in fear because I don't know what will happen to me," he said, noting that his partner would have to take over the business.
Corzo told CNN that he hired his first full-time employee this year, but without the DREAM Act soon, his new firm’s potential—not to mention his own—will be stifled. "I'm proud that I'm creating jobs as a Dreamer," he said. "The United States has invested in me, through my education here and my career opportunities. I want to give back. I can't do that if I'm deported."
Another young entrepreneur depending on swift passage of the DREAM Act is Nathali Bertran, a 25-year-old DACA recipient who works as a product development and design engineer at Honda Research and Development Americas. Her DACA is set to expire in July 2019, and she’s torn about whether or not she should take her skills and passion out of the nation that educated her if there’s no DREAM Act:
"A lot of Dreamers will remain in the U.S. illegally to be with their families after they lose their DACA status. For me, I might relocate. I would find an engineering job abroad if I have to," she said.
Bertran also doesn't want to have to let go of her entrepreneurial aspirations.
In March, she and her boyfriend, Brook Kohn, launched DACA Time, an online platform that helped Dreamers prepare first-time DACA applications and renewal forms. "It's similar to how TurboTax helps with tax preparation," she said.
Trump's decision this fall dealt a blow to DACA Time, but Bertran said they're still in business and the company's funders are still backing the operation.
"Losing DACA isn't just about me and my career," she said. "So many people have invested in me to make my dreams come true, and it's important to me to stay in my country and give back.” Part of that involves using her tool to help even more youth. "If some sort of legislation passes,” said Kohn, “then we will update what we've built thus far to accommodate that new application process. If nothing passes, then that would be devastating for us, Nathali and the other Dreamers."
When 11,000 DACA recipients have already fallen out of status—and 122 continue to lose their work permits and protection from deportation every day—parents, artists, students, entrepreneurs like Nathali and Diego, and everyday people who depend on this program have no time to wait. There are enough bipartisan votes to protect Dreamers in both the House and Senate—they just need the chance to vote. Tell Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell enough with the political delays. We need the DREAM Act now.