The American Dream is under attack in Dupage County

The American Dream Is Under Attack in DuPage — And I’m Proof

I am an immigrant from Pakistan, the daughter of educated parents who came to this country believing in the American Dream. They worked hard, they contributed, and they taught me that education and service are the surest paths to building a better life.
I followed their example. I graduated from Loyola University, earned a degree from Purdue, and built a career in public health. For me, public health has never been about bureaucracy — it has been about protecting families, expanding access to care, and ensuring no one is invisible. And now, as the only immigrant running for the DuPage County Board, I am carrying that same commitment into public office.
But today, the dream that my parents believed in is being dismantled — not just in Washington, but right here in DuPage.
Donald Trump’s return to power has reignited ICE’s machinery of fear. Raids are no longer limited to so-called “sensitive locations.” Schools, hospitals, even places of worship can once again become grounds for arrests and deportations. Families in our county live with the fear that a trip to the doctor or a parent-teacher conference could be the moment their lives are torn apart.
This is not public safety. This is public cruelty. And it is funded with our tax dollars.
Budgets are moral documents. They show us not just what government can do, but what government chooses to do. Under Trump, billions are funneled into ICE detention centers, mass deportation programs, and militarized enforcement — while families struggle with housing costs, mental health crises, and underfunded schools. Every dollar spent on separating families is a dollar not spent on feeding children, housing seniors, or providing care to those who need it most.
This isn’t abstract. It’s local. When immigrants in DuPage live in fear, it affects our schools, our hospitals, and our neighborhoods. Children learn less when they are afraid their parents won’t be home after school. Patients delay care when they believe the clinic may not be safe. Businesses lose workers who are too terrified to show up. Trump’s ICE agenda doesn’t just target immigrants — it destabilizes entire communities.
That is why this race matters. County government sets priorities for health, housing, legal aid, and local cooperation with federal agencies. Representation at this level is not symbolic. It is a line of defense. And right now, we need fighters who will stand up to the politics of fear and demand that public funding serve the people, not punish them.
I am running because I know what it means to be both grateful for America’s promise and deeply aware of its shortcomings. My parents gave me the chance to pursue education and service. Public health gave me the responsibility to protect people when systems fail them. And now this moment demands something more: courage in the face of fear, honesty in the face of spin, and conviction in the face of injustice.
Immigrants are not a burden. We are an asset. We are teachers, doctors, small business owners, caretakers, and taxpayers. We are raising children who will be the next generation of leaders. And yet, too often, our voices are excluded from the decisions that shape our lives.
In DuPage, voters have a choice. They can accept a politics that treats immigrants as suspects and funnels public money into fear. Or they can choose leaders who believe every family deserves safety, dignity, and opportunity.
The American Dream is alive in me — but it will only survive for all of us if we fight for it. That is why I am running, and that is why I will not back down.
Mahnoor Ahmad is a candidate for the DuPage County Board, District 2. Learn more at mahnoorfordupage.com