DACA recipients who submit their renewal applications on time should be allowed to keep working while they wait for a decision. We should not lose our jobs and income because our applications are still being processed.

I’ve been renewing my DACA since 2014, and I’ve never been in this position before. This time, my work permit expired while my renewal was still pending. I had to stop working, and I later lost my job as an HR specialist. After 12 years of doing what I was supposed to do, I was out of work because of a delay I couldn’t control.

Before working in HR, I worked my butt off as a travel certified nursing assistant (CNA), including during COVID. I cared for nursing home residents and stayed when we were short-staffed. My coworkers were burned out, and some got sick themselves. I caught COVID four times while caring for residents. Every time I recovered, I went back to work.

My spouse and I put our own money toward my education, books, and exams. I completed UConn’s graduate certificate program in Long-Term Health Care Management with a 4.0 GPA and earned my Connecticut nursing home administrator license. Even with everything going on, I kept studying. I recently passed the Pennsylvania state exam—the last requirement I needed to complete for my nursing home administrator license there.

I spent years showing up when nursing homes were short-staffed. Now I’ve trained to lead one, and I’m ready to put that training to use. But I’m still waiting for a decision on my DACA renewal.

This is bigger than my story. When our work permits expire while our renewals are pending, we don’t just lose a paycheck. We fall behind on bills and face the risk of losing our homes. Rent, mortgage payments, groceries, and utilities don’t stop coming due just because an application is pending. Some of us have children who depend on us to keep a roof over their heads, put food on the table, and meet their everyday needs. How are we supposed to care for them when we’re not given the chance to keep working?

Some of us, including me, also have green card applications pending. Even taking gig work, like driving for Uber or Lyft, leaves me afraid that working without authorization could put my immigration case at risk. I want to earn a living—not risk the future I’ve worked so hard to build.

The waiting also takes an emotional toll. Along with worrying about bills, I live with the fear of what could happen if I’m stopped by ICE before a decision comes. The longer my renewal remains pending, the longer I carry that uncertainty.

I’m asking for one change: let DACA recipients who file their renewal applications on time keep working while those applications are pending. A processing delay should not cost us our jobs, our homes, or our ability to care for our children.

I want to work, support my family, and serve the community as a nursing home administrator. Other DACA recipients have their own stories. We work in nursing homes, teach in classrooms, and run small businesses. When we have to stop working, our families lose income, employers lose workers, and the people who count on us feel the impact too.

Please sign and share this petition. Help us keep working, supporting our families, and serving our communities while we wait for a decision.