A Guest Column by Iuscely Flores, Racial Equity and Economic Justice Advocate at the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign: Watching the 2024 Election Unfold as an Undocumented American
Iuscely Flores
Millions of Americans are holding their breath as the 2024 presidential election unfolds. All hoping for a future where they can thrive and feel safe. The stakes are even higher for those of us who are undocumented. We’re not just praying for health care reforms or economic policies; we are fighting for our lives, our loved ones, and the dream of one day belonging to the only place millions of us call home. This election feels like a perilous moment in time where everything is hanging in the balance.
Just imagine watching the debates and the election results on your screen, not knowing if your future here will be affirmed or threatened. For those without a legal status, the election is not just about political disputes; it’s a test of survival. Each rally, debate, and potential policy change announcement feels personal. As if each candidate’s words are speaking directly to either threaten or bring solace to our lives, hopes and fears.
There is a blend of excitement and fear but overall dread, that this election brings. The deep lingering fear of deportation on the horizon and the impact of living in constant uncertainty, but on the other hand there’s a spark of possibility that finally one of these candidates will do right by us. That maybe, just maybe a pathway to citizenship is within reach. Every time that hope grows, it is shadowed by the possibility that things might never change or worse, regress.
The dreadful reality of living day-to-day as undocumented in a country that has increasingly polarized views on immigration regardless of who’s in office, we just can’t take a day off from. Many of us have been here for years, working hard, contributing to Medicaid and Social Security funding with no security for ourselves. Yet in some corners of this nation we are still viewed as outsiders. We live in constant fear of our families being separated, and the grumbling feeling that we are somehow “illegal” and as if our existence is a crime. Watching this election unfold, we’re hoping that a candidate will finally see us as human.
The heaviest burden is waiting for the next administration to change everything for us, not knowing who will truly follow through for better or worse is the great unknown. There’s a part of us that wonders if we’ll ever be able to celebrate a concrete win. And so we wait, quietly and carefully, trying to believe that hope will be justified.
Watching from the sidelines, we know that a path to citizenship would not only change our lives but would also be an affirmation that we are finally a part of American history. And so we wait, with a knot in our throats, our future hanging on the outcome. Knowing that no matter what happens, we will keep fighting to belong in a place that we call home.
