Local opinion: Rep. Juan Ciscomani: Our similarities outweigh our differences

On Dec. 9, 2024, Representative Juan Ciscomani posted the following tweet on X: “... DACA recipients should be able to stay in the country. It’s time to find a permanent solution for this critical issue that is near and dear to my heart and #AZ06.”

Today, I reach out to you, Rep. Ciscomani, in this public forum, asking for your help and to make good on your promise to protect DACA recipients like me. Despite doing everything I can within the legal means, including renewing DACA several times, ICE has targeted me for deportation. I am not alone. The Department of Homeland Security has reported that hundreds of other DACA recipients have either been deported or are currently facing deportation from the United States.

I am asking for your assistance as I live in your district. I am your constituent. We are more similar than we are different. We both were born in Sonora, Mexico, and came to the United States as children. In 1995, I was a 1-year-old infant when I arrived to the U.S., and you were 11 when you arrived in 1993. I have no memory of Mexico since I was only an infant when my mom carried me across the border. America is my home. It is where I want to remain and pursue my dream, like you have been able to.

We both graduated from high school in Tucson, and we both pursued higher education. We have both benefited from growing up in this country and worked toward our own versions of the “American Dream.” Unfortunately, that is where our similarities end. I was not fortunate enough to come from a family with the same opportunities as yours. My mother became an orphan at just 8 years old and, by the age of 22, was navigating life completely on her own. Despite having very few resources, she was determined to give me the future she could only dream of for herself. Because of her sacrifices, I was able to graduate, pursue an education, and contribute to my community. Yet, while you were able to become a U.S. citizen in 2006, citizenship remains a dream that I can only hope to achieve someday.

Since October 2012, I have been a DACA recipient. Every two years, I pay filing fees, submit extensive paperwork, and undergo a rigorous vetting process that includes background checks. Time and time again, I have had to prove to the government that I am worthy of this protection. I have successfully renewed my DACA status in 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024, and I am currently awaiting approval of my 2026 renewal. Yet with every renewal, my immigration status remains unclear. Unfortunately, the system doesn’t give a DREAMer, like me, a chance to legally immigrate unless I marry a U.S. citizen. I do not believe marriage should be used as an immigration strategy. It should only happen when there is an existing genuine, bona fide relationship. DREAMers do not have a pathway to citizenship.

On May 18, 2026, my life was altered on that day in a way I never envisioned. ICE agents broke down my front door and arrested me. They didn’t have a warrant. They didn’t have a lawful basis to do this. I have no criminal background. Now I face deportation from the U.S., and my dream is fading.

I am asking you to help make this dream a reality, not only for myself, but for the tens of thousands of other DREAMers living in Arizona. Supporting DREAMers should not be a partisan issue. It is a human rights issue, and I ask you, respectfully, to consider speaking up on our behalf. As a Mexican-born, naturalized U.S. citizen, you have a unique voice and could make a difference.

You have stated openly that DACA recipients deserve a shot at the American Dream. I am asking you to help make that statement a reality by supporting a permanent pathway to legal status for Dreamers like me. We cannot wait any longer. Time is of the essence.