PHOENIX (AP) — Joella Roberts Age: 22 Lives: Washington, D. C. Country of origin: Trinidad and Tobago Joella Roberts was 4 when she came to the U. S.
PHOENIX (AP) — Joella Roberts
Age: 22
Lives: Washington, D. C.
Country of origin: Trinidad and Tobago
Joella Roberts was 4 when she came to the U. S. with her mom and brother in 2001. Her grandmother, who was already living in the states, petitioned to bring them as well, but their applications were delayed because of Sept. 11 and they made the trip anyway. Eventually, Roberts was in the country without permission. She and her family were debating whether she should go back to Trinidad and Tobago and start fresh. An attorney told her about DACA around 2015, and she’s had the protection since. “I have like an artificial citizenship,” Roberts said. Having DACA allowed her to help her family, as she is the sole provider. She was able to finance a car and have credit.
Like many other DACA recipients, she is politically savvy and determined to use her skills to advocate for others like her. Roberts just graduated from college and is working as a university program coordinator for FWD.us, a bipartisan group that advocates for criminal justice and immigration reform.
Roberts said she couldn’t fall asleep until 4 a.m. Thursday because of anxiety about the pending high court ruling. She jumped out of bed when she heard the news.
“I was like, finally, the Supreme Court is on the right side of justice and history and it’s been a really long, torturous couple of months,” Roberts said. She said that while she’s happy with the decision, there are still other things to fight for, like justice for black Americans killed by police.
Edison Suasnavas
Age: 33
Lives: Saratoga Springs, Utah
Country of origin: Ecuador
Edison Suasnavas would not be able to analyze cancer cells for a living without DACA. He has advanced biology degrees, but until getting protections had worked a low-wage job at a hotel. Now, he’s a molecular oncology specialist in a medical lab in Salt Lake City, and he’s volunteered to help with coronavirus test diagnosing, although he hasn’t been selected yet. Suasnavas is married, has two young children, and owns a home and two cars. He was 12 when he came to the U. S. from Ecuador after an economic crisis there. He moved with his family to Logan, Utah, and was considering moving to Mexico, where his wife is from, before he got DACA protections.
His wife woke him up Thursday to deliver the good news.
“I don’t want to sound cocky but right now especially with what’s going on, working in a medical lab, it showed that we are essential to keep contributing to the country,” Suasnavas said.
