Being a Dreamer means always living with uncertainty. For Tomás, he decided to make something certain: in June 2012, he booked a one-way ticket to Buenos Aires, Argentina—a place he had not seen since he was 6. DACA was his lifeline and the reason he did not board that plane.
“It took me a few days to really wrap my head around it. It was really a blessing,” he said in an interview with The Louisiana Weekly.
Thanks to the program, Tomás was able to apply for a work permit, own a car, and get his driver’s license. He graduated from college and worked a few jobs. As a Florida resident, DACA is the only reason he is able to do these things.
Without DACA, Tomás would not be able to drive legally in the state of Florida. On top of that, recent Florida laws even require police to help the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to find and detain undocumented immigrants.
So despite the stability he has created for himself, Tomás is trying to remain flexible, knowing that his life can change drastically at any moment.
“I always try to do things in such a way that if the current reality does a 180, I’m ready to tackle what happens,” Tomás said. “If tomorrow I did have to leave to Argentina, I’d like to think I’d be able to do it.”
