Bolingbrook Immigrant Group Celebrates Win For DACA

BOLINGBROOK, IL — The U.S. Supreme Court on June 18 ruled 5-4 that the Trump administration acted illegally when it ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protects from deportation non-U.S. citizens who were brought to this country illegally as children.

The Southwest Suburban Immigrant Project, a social impact organization committed to community organizing for the rights of immigrants in Chicago’s southwest suburbs through education, civic engagement, and advocacy, released a statement that said this "decision did not arise from nowhere," but the "result comes from years of undocumented youth organizing for themselves, their families, and their communities."

On November 12, 2019, seven youth leaders from SSIP took to Washington D.C. to make their demands known. Since that day, 680,000 DACA recipients across the nation, 42,000 of whom live in Illinois, have been waiting on a decision.

One SSIP youth leader and student at Joliet Junior College, Alessandra Cadenillas, who was in the Supreme Court building on the day of the hearing, said: "The decision today definitely gave me a sense of security for my future and motivation to have a career in nursing. I'll have the opportunity to help my community. It allows me to continue working in the field that I love most and that’s the healthcare field."

"The recent pandemic highlighted the thousands of DACA holders working in the health front-lines. DACA has provided many members of our communities the opportunity to work and to take care of their families," the statement said. "Now, this opportunity will be open to new applicants in the near future."

Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) said in a release that "the Trump administration's cruel attempt to target these patriotic young people was beneath the values of our nation, and the Supreme Court rightly rejected it."

“Today is a victory for hundreds of thousands of dreamers across the country, including many in Joliet, Aurora, Bolingbrook, and Naperville who make our communities better and have known no other home but the United States," he said. "We have always been a nation of immigrants, and we are a stronger nation when we embrace our diversity. I'm proud to represent a district where vibrant immigrant communities are welcomed, valued, and celebrated, and I will continue to stand up for them."

Tanner Simeon-Cox, a SSIP community organizer, said DACA will not stop until "everyone has access to a life without fear."

“As we celebrate this enormous victory today, we know the fight continues. We stand in solidarity with individuals and organizations across the nation fighting for respect and human dignity. From the Black Lives Matter movement to the fight for full citizenship for all, this journey does not end with DACA," Simeon-Cox said.