DREAMERS KEPT OUR ECONOMY AFLOAT. OUR POLICIES SHOULD RECOGNIZE THIS.

As a paramedic who responds to emergency calls, Jesus Contreras of Houston is no stranger to answering when tragedy strikes. Four years ago, he was working around the clock seven days a week to help Texans deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. And for the past eleven months, he has been helping individuals fight for their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic, showing up at their doorsteps to transport them to local hospitals. Jesus is able to serve on the pandemic frontlines thanks to programs like Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which allowed him to obtain a driver’s license in Texas and take the state exam required to be a licensed paramedic. DACA doesn’t provide legal status to eligible young immigrants, but if offers temporary protection from deportation. Recipients are often known as Dreamers…