LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — As we round out our Path to the White House series, we're looking at a program affecting thousands in our community—the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals also known as DACA.
Over 11,000 people in Nevada rely on it.
With the election coming up, it's important to understand what DACA means—and what it's done since 2012 when it was established during the Obama administration.
I met a DACA recipient who said she wouldn't be where she is today without it.
Meet Valentina Ortega
"Without DACA, our future is not as bright,” said Valentina Ortega, a DACA recipient.
Ortega moved to Las Vegas from Mexico as a child.
Since then, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals has opened doors she never thought were possible.
How has it changed your life here as a Las Vegas resident?
"It has changed my life completely. DACA gave me a voice. And not only did it give me a voice, but it gave me the opportunity to pursue law school so that I can give a voice to others that don't have a voice," Ortega said.
Thanks to DACA, Ortega said she has achieved significant milestones. She earned a degree from the Boyd School of Law, currently serves as a law clerk here in Vegas, and aspires to become an attorney and community advocate.
Meet Gabby Pacheco, president of TheDream.US — an advocacy group that helps undocumented immigrants get a higher education.
"We want every single one of those people to know they belong."
I met her at the League of United Latin American Citizens convention here in Las Vegas.
"What we have seen is complete success. We have seen that 99% of them have graduated from high school. We know that 42% of them have higher education, so they've graduated from a Bachelor's degree or actually have, graduate degrees," Pacheco said.
According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, more than 11,000 people in Nevada rely on DAVA, with nearly 9,000 of them in the Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise area.
Pacheco continues to advocate to ensure immigrants can have a concrete pathway to pursue the American Dream.
"The program has already shown it's a proven concept, and now we need to make sure that we pass legislation like the Dream Act that makes it permanent," Pacheco said.
Ortega said, as a result, she lives in fear—renewing DACA every two years.
How could the passage of something like the Dream Act be critical in your life?
"It will be critical because I will know that I have a certainty towards a goal," Ortega said. "I know that I'm working towards something that's gonna be real. Whereas right now, I'm working towards something that can go away any minute."
As the election approaches, Ortega says the political engagement of DACA recipients and their supporters becomes even more vital.
"We already call it home, but there's always that uncertainty that anything can go down the drain," she said.
