DACA recipient: Idaho legislators should uphold the values they claim | Opinion

Editor’s note: The Statesman agreed to publish this piece anonymously because the author fears retaliation as a consequence of speaking out.

Regardless of what others may say, I am an Idahoan.

I am a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient who was brought here from Mexico as a child, and this state is what I consider my home, as I’ve lived here most of my life. And as an Idahoan, I am proud of the values my parents passed on to me of hard work, dedication, respect and perseverance.

The problem is, as an immigrant, I am expected to uphold my values, but Idaho’s elected officials are not.

From an early age, I have held high standards for myself in school, sports, activities and any space I was in. I wanted to make sure that I was a good representative of our immigrant community, in hopes that people could see us as something other than just our status and labor. I hoped that they could value us not for what we give, but for who we are.

People expect the best from our immigrant community, and we deliver every time.

I suspect that’s why Idaho legislators continue making anti-immigrant bills — which go against their own stated values — because they are frustrated to see that immigrants are thriving in this country without all the privileges that they have. Everyone in Idaho continues to benefit from the labor and culture of our immigrant community, but they do not want to recognize us as being part of it.

I expect that a legislative committee with “pro-life” members would care about all lives, not just white lives. I also expect that allegedly religious committee members would “love thy neighbor,” not actively hurt them. I would hope that lawmakers mean it when they say they respect the rule of law and apply that logic equally to all people. With another legislative session right around the corner, Idahoans deserve lawmakers who uphold their values, not those with ethical inconsistencies.

We saw clear examples of ethical inconsistencies during this year’s legislative session when committee members voted in favor of bills like House Bill 135, which prevents unauthorized immigrants in Idaho from accessing publicly funded assistance such as pre- and postnatal care, and food assistance for children. The sponsor of the bill, Rep. Jordan Redman, said, “Our state has a finite amount of resources,” while presenting his bill. “I believe those precious resources need to be prioritized for the most vulnerable citizens in our state.”

To take away basic necessities like pre- and postnatal care from women, and food assistance from children, who are among the most vulnerable people in our state, is cruel and inconsistent with what he states on his campaign website: “I am pro-life and will defend the rights of the unborn and the sanctity of life.”

Is the sanctity of life indefensible when the color of their skin is a few shades darker than his? Does he not view immigrants as humans whose lives are sacred enough for him to protect?

It is appalling to see legislators throw their values away and put their religion aside when the affected demographic is different from theirs. According to the Idaho Center for Fiscal Policy, immigrants contribute over $2.8 billion annually to Idaho’s economy by paying taxes, spending as consumers, and generating business revenue. Immigrants are helping our economy in Idaho thrive and contribute to many publicly funded programs that they themselves can’t even access.

Legislators should focus on sponsoring bills and putting our precious resources into health care, education, and housing, instead of attacking a community that is an asset to Idahoans. Their actions are inconsistent with what they claim to value.

Take, for example, Senate Pro Tem Kelly Anthon, who won the Idaho Farm Bureau’s “Friend of Agriculture Award” this year for demonstrating consistent support for Idaho’s agricultural industry. In his acceptance speech, Anthon said, “Agriculture is the backbone of Idaho’s economy, and I remain committed to advocating for policies that ensure the success and sustainability of our farming and ranching communities.”

But this is the same person who cosponsored House Bill 83, which introduced new state-level immigration offenses and enforcement mechanisms aimed at increasing deportations while curbing due process.

With “friends” like that, who needs enemies?

Another cosponsor of HB 83, Sen. Todd Lakey, said that he supported this bill because legislators “have the responsibility to protect our people and our community and our state.”

I fully agree that they do have a responsibility, and I hope they do a better job at it.

For people who claim to support the rule of law, why do they always want to criminalize immigrants for working without authorization, but not the people hiring them?

A saying that we use in our community is: “ponte las pilas,” which means “put your batteries in,” or basically, get it together. Next session, legislators need to stop using the terms “pro-life,” “rule of law” and religious text to move their harmful bills forward because, let’s be honest, this isn’t about their values or the well-being of Idaho — it’s about using immigrants as scapegoats to distract from lawmakers’ lack of leadership. Idahoans deserve better.

To our legislators: Ponganse las pilas!

The author is a DACA recipient who works and attends college in the Treasure Valley, where she lives with her husband and two children.