Immigrants Hopeful to Become Legal Citizens Under Biden
2021-01-22
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1President Biden has quickly moved to change U.S. immigration policy.
2Biden signed executive orders related to immigration on his first day in office.
3Among the orders is one that stops work on a U.S.-Mexico border wall.
4Another ends a travel ban on people from several mostly Muslim countries.
5Biden also has ordered his Cabinet to work on ways to prevent the deportation, or removal from the country, of people brought to the U.S. as children.
6In addition, Biden said he wants to develop a plan to give citizenship to about 11 million people without legal status in the United States.
7"This sets a new narrative, moving us away from being seen as criminals and people on the public charge," said Yanira Arias.
8It opens the door for us to one day become Americans, she said.
9Arias is a Salvadoran immigrant with Temporary Protected Status.
10It is given to people who are temporarily prevented from returning to their countries safely.
11Arias lives in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory.
12She is among about 400,000 people given special status after fleeing violence or natural disasters.
13Arias is also a leader of national campaigns for Alianza Americas, an immigrant advocacy group.
14The most recent attempts at immigration reform have not succeeded.
15They happened in 2007 under former President George W. Bush and in 2013 under former President Barack Obama.
16Ofelia Aguilar watched Biden take office and give a speech on television with four other women farmworkers in Homestead, Florida.
17She said she believed immigration reform was possible.
18"There is hope!" Aguilar cried out after Biden was sworn in.
19"So many people have suffered," she said.
20Aguilar was pregnant and alone when she came to the U.S. from Mexico in 1993.
21She was a farm worker for years before starting her own business farming jicama root.
22Some of the farm workers at the small gathering said they were saddened that Biden did not talk about immigration in his speech.
23"I have faith in God, not in presidents," said Sofía Hernández.
24She is a farmworker who has lived in the United States without legal status since 1989.
25Hernandez came from Mexico seeking economic opportunity.
26Her three children were born in the U.S. and she would send money to her family back home before her parents died.
27"My dream is to go and see my family and come back to stay with my children," Hernandez said.
28In New York, Blanca Cedillos said she also was unhappy that Biden did not talk about immigration.
29She watched the speech with six other immigrants at the Workers Justice Project, a nonprofit organization.
30The Salvadoran woman lost her job taking care of children during the coronavirus pandemic.
31Now, she cleans houses and gets food donations from a nonprofit that serves immigrants.
32Cedillos has lived in the U.S. without legal documents for 18 years.
33She hopes to one day visit her four children in Central America, then return legally to the U.S.
34Building worker Gustavo Ajché watched a Spanish language broadcast of Biden's speech with Cedillos.
35Ajché came to the U.S. from Guatemala in 2004.
36"I don't want to get too excited because I might get frustrated afterward," Ajché said.
37"I have been here many years. I have paid my taxes. I am hoping something will be done."
38Tony Valdovinos is a campaign advisor in Phoenix, Arizona. He said he is not celebrating.
39He is among those in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA.
40The program protects immigrants brought to the U.S. as children from being deported.
41"It's hard to put your heart into it when these things have failed in the past," he said.
42Maria Rodriguez is director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition in Miami.
43"I'm so happy and relieved, but we are still afraid of getting our hearts broken again," she said.
44"We've been through this so many times."
45Los Angeles janitor Anabella Aguirre thinks about her daughters and herself.
46Both daughters are in the DACA program and now starting jobs.
47"Like thousands of mothers and fathers, I want for my daughters to have something better in this country," Aguirre said.
48I'm Alice Bryant.
1President Biden has quickly moved to change U.S. immigration policy. 2Biden signed executive orders related to immigration on his first day in office. Among the orders is one that stops work on a U.S.-Mexico border wall. Another ends a travel ban on people from several mostly Muslim countries. Biden also has ordered his Cabinet to work on ways to prevent the deportation, or removal from the country, of people brought to the U.S. as children. 3In addition, Biden said he wants to develop a plan to give citizenship to about 11 million people without legal status in the United States. 4"This sets a new narrative, moving us away from being seen as criminals and people on the public charge," said Yanira Arias. It opens the door for us to one day become Americans, she said. 5Arias is a Salvadoran immigrant with Temporary Protected Status. It is given to people who are temporarily prevented from returning to their countries safely. Arias lives in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory. She is among about 400,000 people given special status after fleeing violence or natural disasters. 6Arias is also a leader of national campaigns for Alianza Americas, an immigrant advocacy group. 7The most recent attempts at immigration reform have not succeeded. They happened in 2007 under former President George W. Bush and in 2013 under former President Barack Obama. 8Ofelia Aguilar watched Biden take office and give a speech on television with four other women farmworkers in Homestead, Florida. She said she believed immigration reform was possible. 9"There is hope!" Aguilar cried out after Biden was sworn in. "So many people have suffered," she said. 10Aguilar was pregnant and alone when she came to the U.S. from Mexico in 1993. She was a farm worker for years before starting her own business farming jicama root. 11Some of the farm workers at the small gathering said they were saddened that Biden did not talk about immigration in his speech. 12"I have faith in God, not in presidents," said Sofía Hernández. She is a farmworker who has lived in the United States without legal status since 1989. 13Hernandez came from Mexico seeking economic opportunity. Her three children were born in the U.S. and she would send money to her family back home before her parents died. 14"My dream is to go and see my family and come back to stay with my children," Hernandez said. 15In New York, Blanca Cedillos said she also was unhappy that Biden did not talk about immigration. She watched the speech with six other immigrants at the Workers Justice Project, a nonprofit organization. 16The Salvadoran woman lost her job taking care of children during the coronavirus pandemic. Now, she cleans houses and gets food donations from a nonprofit that serves immigrants. 17Cedillos has lived in the U.S. without legal documents for 18 years. She hopes to one day visit her four children in Central America, then return legally to the U.S. 18Building worker Gustavo Ajché watched a Spanish language broadcast of Biden's speech with Cedillos. Ajché came to the U.S. from Guatemala in 2004. 19"I don't want to get too excited because I might get frustrated afterward," Ajché said. "I have been here many years. I have paid my taxes. I am hoping something will be done." 20Tony Valdovinos is a campaign advisor in Phoenix, Arizona. He said he is not celebrating. He is among those in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. The program protects immigrants brought to the U.S. as children from being deported. "It's hard to put your heart into it when these things have failed in the past," he said. 21Maria Rodriguez is director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition in Miami. 22"I'm so happy and relieved, but we are still afraid of getting our hearts broken again," she said. "We've been through this so many times." 23Los Angeles janitor Anabella Aguirre thinks about her daughters and herself. Both daughters are in the DACA program and now starting jobs. 24"Like thousands of mothers and fathers, I want for my daughters to have something better in this country," Aguirre said. 25I'm Alice Bryant. 26The Associated Press reported this story. Alice Bryant adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. 27_____________________________________________________________ 28Words in This Story 29narrative -n. a story or way of talking about something 30status -n. a state of being often in relation to the law 31advocacy -n. to act in support of a cause or proposal 32jicama -n. a root vegetable similar to a potato or turnip 33opportunity -n. an amount of time or a situation in which something can be done 34frustrated -adj. unhappy or angry because you cannot do what you want 35relieved -adj. feeling better because things are easier now 36janitor -n. a person who cleans a building