Desi Perkins is a YouTube sensation with nearly 3 million subscribers. Her sense of style and makeup tutorials have made her a star in her realm. She has even worked with celebrities, the most notable one being none other than Kim Kardashian herself.
Perkins has always identified with her Mexican heritage, with a tweet of hers from 2015 reading, “Why do people keep saying I’m a white girl? I’m Mexican. I didn’t get the chancla as a kid 2 be called not Mexican enough for u. Back up.” She has now revealed that some of her family members will be affected by the termination of DACA.
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has given the opportunity to thousands of children and young people of working and studying legally in the United States. Ending it marks the beginning of a deportation era.
Congress has six months to agree on a plan that would protect 800,000 immigrants from deportation. The DREAM Act is the most plausible option and one that senators have fought for dozens of times. This measure would ensure permanent legal status for the 800,000 DREAMers.
Desi Perkins took advantage of her platform and social reach to spread awareness of the issue. She instructed her fans to send letters to members of Congress expressing disapproval of what Donald Trump plans on doing. Perkins took to Twitter to address Rep. Jeff Denham of California’s 10th district of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Her tweet read:
#DACA repeal = 216,060 CA DREAMers subject to deportation. @RepJeffDenham, reject nativism. Support #DreamAct.
Denham has publicly announced his will to help young undocumented immigrants through the ENLIST Act before. This would give DREAMers the opportunity to join the armed forces, attend college, and get a job.
However, Senators Graham (R-S.C.) and Durbin (D-III.) believe the DREAM Act is the only solution, and that it should be enacted by the end of September. Postponing the issue at hand would prioritize other concerns in the coming months.
Influencers like Desi Perkins help DREAMers in their fight to remain where they belong. Even though it’s directly affecting her family, many would still keep quiet to keep their persona intact. Perkins has instead raised her voice for those who can’t do so themselves.
On her Snapchat, she wrote:
My family came here for a dream and for a better future. It makes me sad to see how HUMANS are being treated. I have loved ones here on DACA and I can’t even imagine them being gone. It’s almost hard to talk about for me.
Fans on Twitter thanked Desi for her will to come out in support of the DREAMers. Although there were a few negative comments, for the most part, the YouTube star got showered with optimism. More Latino celebrities should follow her example so Congress can solve this issue immediately.