Immigrant rights leader Gaby Pacheco is officially an American citizen. This Tuesday afternoon she organized a party to celebrate this achievement that she is very excited about.
She says that there is no better day to celebrate than Independence Day. Pacheco says that she achieved this dream with a lot of determination and the support of her loved ones.
He achieved the American dream after 30 long years. On June 21, Pacheco became a citizen of the United States and wanted to celebrate with her friends on July 4. Among the guests the mayor of Miami-Dade, Daniella Levine-Cava.
“I put my hand up with an open heart. Receiving this nation that for me has always been my nation but now it is already on paper, ”says Pacheco, who at the age of 8 immigrated to the United States with his family from Ecuador.
Because the family arrived on tourist visas, they were unable to obtain legal status for many years. In 2013, Pacheco was the first undocumented Latina to testify before the US Congress.
“This journey has been very long. At one point I was in deportation, my family was in deportation, but it was my community that helped me, hugged me and hugged me and said we will support you,” he recalls.
Pacheco gained national recognition for advocating for the Dream Act and led the efforts of the Deferred Action Program, also known as DACA.
“I made a walk from Miami to Washington DC advocating for our rights and I have always been there with a little bit of fear, but with the conviction of what this nation is, of what the opportunity of the American dream is,” says the activist.
As Pacheco celebrates his citizenship, he stresses that his fight for the rights of undocumented immigrants is not over. She is now concerned about the new Florida immigration law, which went into effect on July 1st.
“Honestly, I am very worried because our community is being very affected, it is very afraid. But what I want to say to them is that they have to be informed”, advises Pacheco.
Asked if he planned to run for public office in the future, he said he didn’t know yet. For now, she’s just enjoying the moment and says he feels unstoppable.
