WASHINGTON — Earlier this year, Yenimar Cortes confronted General John F. Kelly just before his confirmation hearing as secretary of Homeland Security to ask him if he planned to defend the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA.
The Obama-era program allows certain undocumented young people brought to the United States as children to work in the country and be spared from deportation for a period of two years. Cortes is a “DACA-mented” individual. She came to the United States at age 2 with her parents, whom she says were seeking a better life and trying to escape poverty in Mexico.
“I just want to emphasize that you would have my family and my life in your hands,” Cortes told Kelly as they walked a hallway of a Senate office building back in January, as shown in this video. “Can you just give me an answer, like yes or no?”
Kelly responded at the time that he’ll have to “reserve an answer” until after his confirmation, and then “see where the President-elect wants to go on it.”
Seven months after that exchange, Cortes, 19, a political science major at Eastern Connecticut State University and recipient of a National Scholarship for undocumented students from thedream.us, is still seeking an answer from Kelly, who is now White House chief of staff.
She sought that answer as one of several speakers Tuesday during a DACA rally that drew a diverse crowd of hundreds of DACA and immigration supporters — some from as far away as Florida — to Lafayette Square, just outside the White House. The protesters braved rain, beat drums and chanted pro-immigration slogans, such as: Up, up with immigration, down, down with deportation.
Cortes, speaking from a platform, said: “Just like I looked back in January to John Kelly, I look at him today, because I know he’s going to hear our message. I know he’s going to see this video.
