Sergio left a job he loved at the U.S. Capitol to return home for New Haven when a new president’s declarations put his and his family’s futures in question.
Sergio was a young aide to New Haven U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro. She read his resignation letter Wednesday on the floor of the House of Representatives to illustrate the impact of President Donald Trump’s promises to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, promises he has begun backing up with executive orders.
Sergio was an intern in DeLauro’s D.C. office. “He took on tasks with a smile, he had an insatiable appetite for learning about our government, he was one of the finest interns our office has ever seen,” she said. “I was proud to have him to be one of the first people that our constituents interacted with when they contacted our office.”
Here’s the explanation he gave for resigning in a letter following Trump’s election:
Dear Representative DeLauro:
I was honored to intern in your Washington office and learn more about the government of the United States, and more specifically responding to constituents’ concerns. Walking through the long tunnels that connect the congressional buildings to the Capitol I began to envision myself working in the District of Columbia upon graduation. But like for many people, the election results have forced me to take a different path.
After the presidential election, all the stability that had allowed my family and me to become part of the American life was turn into fear and doubt about our future. Not only has the President-Elect vow to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, but he also promised to remove the DACA program. For this reason, I had to return to New Haven and assist my family as we figure out which decisions are the best to take moving forward. Thus, I am sorry to inform you that I will no longer be able to continue my internship in your Washington D.C. office.
I want to express that while I am in constant fear questioning whether I will be able to complete my undergraduate degree, or if my US-citizen sister will be separated from us, I am not giving in. My best memory working in your office was running into an old employer who came to the office for a Capitol Tour. Reflecting on the aspirations I had working as a busser to get myself through high school, I remember your persona always providing me with hope. That hope has grown exponentially as I reminisce on the times you walked into the office and greeted all your interns with such gratitude and enthusiasm.
With infinite gratitude,
Sergio
“How does this promising young man’s fear make us safer? How can we stand idly by while his family navigates unspeakable anxiety and pain? How can we live with ourselves if we let these hateful policies stand?” DeLauro asked her colleagues.
“Sergio is a bright young man dedicated to public service and now he is a young man questioning his future — and the future of his family. This story breaks my heart — it should break yours. President Trump’s executive orders are not just anti-immigrant, they are anti-American. Most of our families — including my own — came to this country as immigrants. …
“The President’s executive orders are an insult to our country’s roots and our values. Instead of uniting us, he threatens to further divide us.
I stand with Sergio — and the millions of people like him whose futures are in flux because of this Administration’s misguided immigration policies. Do not destroy the American dream.”
