DACA isn’t enough. We need more, and we deserve more.

Today, LUPE members and advocates gathered in the RGV while the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments for the DACA litigation.

Our message was clear: immigrants are here to stay, and we won’t settle for anything less than permanent protections and Citizenship!

“[DACA] opened my eyes to the endless opportunities that I deserve as a human being,” said Abraham Diaz, former DACA holder who shared his testimony today. “We are worth more than what our politicians say — more than what Greg Abbott, Ken Paxton say — and use us as pawns for fear mongering in our communities.”

LUPE's Director of Organizing, Joaquin Garcia, singled out Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton for their divide-and-conquer tactics:

“They want us to blame immigrants for what is happening in the country when in all reality the immigrant community is one of the strongest pillars that has made this country a diverse and welcoming nation.”

It’s been 10 years of DACA. It’s undeniable that this program has positively helped hundreds of thousands of people and their families.

But DACA isn’t enough. We need more, and we deserve more.

It’s not enough when immigrants are cruelly detained and deported.

It’s not enough when asylum seekers are rejected.

It’s not enough when we have to live in limbo not knowing what our future holds.

We deserve to live dignified, free lives, and we won’t stop until that is a reality.

We are organizing for an RGV where we can ALL live freely and safely. We can only get there by winning permanent protections for all 11 million undocumented people.

Our LUPE membership shows how much we can win when we unite across race, background, and generations. And we won’t back down.