Former communications adviser to President Obama, Luis Miranda, has written an op-ed piece in USA Today revealing his experience as an undocumented immigrant and narrating his journey into the White House.
"When I was a kid, I dreamed of becoming a fighter pilot. One of my best friends with the same goal joined the Civil Air Patrol and encouraged me to join, too," wrote Miranda in the op-ed piece. "I jumped at the chance. But then it happened. I needed a Social Security number and didn't have one. I began to understand what it meant to be undocumented."
He goes on to explain that being undocumented took a toll on his life, as his grades suffered and he felt as though certain goals were not feasible for himself. He credits his parents and members of Congress who helped President Reagan in passing an immigration law in 1986 for helping him reach where he is today.
"It wouldn't be hard to imagine my life if President Reagan hadn't had the courage to sign that bill," explains Miranda. "Today, the still broken immigration system forces undocumented workers into an underground economy where they are often taken advantage of, and may not pay taxes because they're likely paid under the table by unscrupulous employers."
Tapping into his own experiences, Miranda explains that the undocumented youth can benefit from the passing of the immigration bill, the way he benefited from Reagan's bill. After all, Miranda was sworn into the White House a mere decade after he was sworn in as a U.S. citizen. After serving for President Obama, Miranda is currently a strategic communications consultant in Washington, D.C.
"Young people who grew up here, like I did, but who haven't been given the chance to earn their citizenship, face the prospect of ending up washing dishes rather than staffing our laboratories or joining our military," he wrote.
"What I've learned through the years is that citizenship is more than a certificate. It's about our responsibilities to each other and to our communities, and stems as much from Fourth of July picnics as from how we embrace the values that have made America strong."
With Miranda supports the bill that the Senate is currently considering in his op-ed piece--the bill would offer citizenship to many of the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. while taking a tougher stance on illegal immigration. He explains that the bill is the "right approach" since many immigrants have already planted their roots and are not looking for a handout.
"Last week, a bipartisan group of senators known as the "Gang of Eight" introduced a new immigration reform measure," wrote Miranda. "Their bill would continue to strengthen our borders, fix the legal immigration system and provide a path for the 11 million undocumented to register, pay taxes and play by the same rules as everyone else before they could get on a path to citizenship."
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