We must not relent

Today’s Supreme Court decision on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a much-needed sigh of relief for the many of us who have grown up and lived in this country as undocumented. 

President Trump and his hostile administration broke the law. The Supreme Court’s decision recognizes that this administration was malicious and capricious in its actions to further a hateful agenda.

The work so many people have invested over the many years—to shift systems and narratives that have marginalized our families and pushed us into the shadows—continue to pay off. It’s a moment for us to breathe, celebrate, and honor the work that’s allowed this moment.

But our job is not yet done. We have to reconvene and reorganize. We must fight for all of our families and for the millions that remain left out. We must keep up the pressure so that #not1more person is detained, deported, or criminalized. This moment calls us to do more, to end the criminalization of communities across this country, to stand in solidarity, and to fight in defense of black lives.

Our liberation is intertwined with that of our family, friends, and neighbors. We cannot settle, we mustn’t relent.

Jesús Guzmán (MPP '18) is the Policy and Advocacy Director for Generation Housing and a DACA recipient. Jesús is a former analyst at PolicyLink and on the advisory board for the Berkeley Institute for Young Americans. He lives in Healdsburg, CA with his wife Stephanie and two daughters, Victoria and Valentina.

When he was a graduate student, Jesus discussed immigration policy on the Goldman School podcast Talk Policy To Me. Listen here.