Jesus Contreras is Houston-area paramedic who worked six days straight after Hurricane Harvey devastated southeast Texas, rescuing people from flood waters and taking some of them to local hospitals.
“It was emotional because you’re seeing people go through some of the hardest moments of your life,” Contreras said. “It shook up our entire community.”
In all his relief and rescue efforts, Contreras didn’t have a lot of time to think about himself. Then, he came home on Thursday and saw the news that President Trump may end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The program, which is an Obama’s executive order, protects undocumented immigrants from deportation who were brought to the U.S. as children, just like Contreras, while also granting them permits to legally work.
“Hearing that my future in the United States is being threatened and possibly taken away was disheartening, it was disappointing,” the 23-year-old said. “It was like getting an extra kick to the face when you’re already down.”
Contreras arrived in the United States when he was 6-years-old with his mother from Tamaulipas, a state in Mexico. He stated that he was fleeing violence and local drug crime at home: “We came here with the hope of being free and being able to work and make a productive life,” Contreras said. “My mom came here with the intention of giving me the best opportunities I could have and DACA has allowed me to do just that.”
The paramedic called the DACA program a “huge life-changing experience,” without which he would never have been licensed. “There are countless people with DACA that are out here volunteering, coordinating with shelters and relief,” Contreras said. “I have this opportunity to share my story but I’m far from the only one and there are millions of people just like me doing even bigger things.”
The chair of the Texas Federation of Hispanic Republicans, Artemio Muniz, said DACA recipients in the areas affected by the hurricane were hit with a double whammy over the last few days. “The timing is just so bad. Some of them lost their homes and are trying to recover from the hurricane.”
Nearly 800,000 young undocumented immigrants received work permits and protection from deportation under DACA, according to the latest figures from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The Trump administration is expected to announce their decision on DACA On Tuesday, when Contreras will be coming home from another shift at the Montgomery County Hospital District.