Speaking Up: My Story And Why Your Voice Matters

My name is Daniel Banda. I am a recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a policy that allows undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children to live and work here without fear of deportation. We have to reapply for these protections every two years.

Growing up undocumented, I constantly worried about things most kids never have to think about—like what would happen if my parents didn’t come home from work one day, or if I’d ever be able to go to college. I learned early on to stay quiet and avoid drawing attention to our situation. Pursuing higher education or a career in my passions never felt within reach—not because I lacked ambition, but because the barriers in front of us were deliberately placed and left unmoved.

While being undocumented does not define who I am, I carry it proudly as part of my identity, because I hope that other immigrant youth might see my work and feel inspired to pursue their own dreams, just as I did.

DACA changed my life. It gave me the chance to pursue my dreams.

DACA allowed me to attend college and become an Archer Fellow, which brought me to Washington, D.C., where I interned at the Embassy of Mexico and at a law firm supporting unaccompanied migrant children. Earlier this spring I had the opportunity to testify before the Texas Senate in defense of in-state tuition for undocumented students.

This summer, I am serving as a FirstGen Advocacy Intern with the National Immigration Law Center, contributing to teams that fight to protect and expand immigrant rights. I am also working with United We Dream’s Texas Leadership Council to mobilize immigrant youth. These are the same organizations that helped me navigate life as a scared immigrant. Now, I have come full circle—pouring my energy into the work that once helped me feel seen and supported.

I chose to become an advocate for immigrants to ensure that others do not face the same uncertainty and obstacles I experienced growing up. I want them to attend college, chase their dreams, and support themselves and their families—without the fear that their futures might vanish overnight. Immigration is often viewed as a divisive issue, but I am proud to stand up for people like me because we deserve more than silence.

DACA helped open doors for me, but far too many never had that chance. From the start, the policy excluded millions based on arbitrary eligibility rules. According to the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, nearly 2 million immigrant youth are ineligible for DACA or Temporary Protected Status (TPS), forcing them to navigate life in the only country they have ever known as home without any guarantee of safety, legal status, or stability. The Migration Policy Institute also found in 2021 that approximately 3 million undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children could benefit from legislation like the Dream Act. These figures underscore the urgency of moving beyond temporary protections toward permanent legislative solutions.