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A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 20 november 2019

She can't vote, but 2020 Democrats want her support anyway

By MICHELLE L. PRICE out legal possession. Until for about five minutes by
Associated Press she was 26 and Nevada phone on Sunday.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — One of began issuing driver privi- Biden, who has not re-
the most sought-after presi- lege cards to immigrants, leased a detailed immigra-
dential endorsements in she relied on the bus to get tion plan, has called for
a key early voting state is around sprawling Las Ve- Congress to grant citizen-
from a woman who cannot gas. She runs a nonprofit ship to Dreamers.
vote. that connects immigrants But Silva remains con-
As Democrats jockey for with support and legal help cerned about the Demo-
support in Nevada, a but says she ensures her cratic field. She's seen few
meeting with Astrid Silva, family or friends can ac- candidates truly reaching
a 31-year-old immigrant cess her bank account to out and organizing fami-
rights activist who has be- pay her bills in case her le- lies in the immigrant com-
come a public face of the gal status changes and she munity, she said. She wor-
"Dreamers," is a can't-miss ends up detained. ries that candidates will
early stop. In this Feb. 28, 2017 file photo Astrid Silva is interviewed by The "Our literal everything is in change their tune in the
Silva has had dinner with Associated Press on Capitol Hill in Washington. somebody else's hands," general election, when the
Kamala Harris, policy Associated Press she said. "I don't have a say fight shifts to the Rust Belt,
roundtables with Elizabeth over my life." where immigration is an is-
Warren and Joe Biden, and debate, it remains on the Over the last several While meeting with can- sue that could drive some
vegan tamales with Cory forefront for Nevada Dem- months, she has spent didates, her fellow Latino white working-class voters
Booker. Just this week, after ocrats, many of whom hours in private meetings in immigrants often give the away.
Pete Buttigieg noticed she want candidates to have Las Vegas with the candi- 2020 hopefuls small tokens "Right now, they could
attended Supreme Court a plan to permanently pro- dates, usually bringing with to remember them, like an be talking really nice, but
arguments on the program tect Dreamers and offer a her a team of activists, im- image of St. Jude, the pa- when they have to go
shielding her from deporta- path to citizenship, among migrants and volunteer at- tron saint of lost causes, or moderate, or when they
tion, the candidate called a host of other changes. torneys. an "escapulario," a devo- have to go to the right, our
to make sure she knew he Silva, one of about 13,000 Over chips and salsa at tional necklace featuring families are first to be sac-
supported her cause. young immigrants in the family-run Mexican restau- Our Lady of Guadalupe, rificed," Silva said. "We are
"Presidential wannabes, state who are temporarily rants or, in Booker's case, the patron saint of Mexico, the first to be on the cutting
when they come here —I shielded from deportation vegan tamales and prayer that's seen as a protection board because we don't
don't know a single one under the Deferred Action at an altar in a local home, from bad things. vote. We can't vote."
that hasn't met with her," for Childhood Arrivals pro- Silva has tried to focus the "They can't vote. The one Others worry about cam-
said Harry Reid, the former gram, has become a vis- candidates on personal thing they can give is their paigns thinking one activist
U.S. Senate Majority Lead- ible figure in the push for stories. She and others of- time and literally their trea- — or one issue — alone will
er, who helped elevate Sil- immigration reform since ten describe the fears im- sures, which is their religious unlock the Latino vote.
va's profile during his push meeting Reid in 2009. Presi- migrants face and the artifacts," Silva said. Like other voters, Latinos
for immigration reform. dent Barack Obama cited complexities of the U.S. im- Booker, Warren and Harris, care about health care,
"There's no question in my her in a 2014 immigration migration system. They talk who had several meetings education and climate
mind that candidates are speech, and she spoke at about sexual assault victims with Silva, have released change, among other is-
well served to visit with her." the 2016 Democratic Na- who are scared to report to Dreamer plans that would sues, said Leo Murrieta, the
Silva's busy calendar high- tional Convention. In 2016, police because they don't use executive action to ex- director of the advocacy
lights the power of Latino she declared Hillary Clin- have legal status. They re- tend protections for those organization Make the
voters in Nevada, the third ton's immigration plan to count how family members already covered and al- Road Nevada.
state on Democrats' prima- be the most feasible and were forced to leave and low other immigrants, like While Silva plays an impor-
ry calendar. The state has a endorsed her, helping Clin- remain out of the country Dreamers' family members, tant role, candidates need
large immigrant communi- ton as she won the Nevada for up to 10 years before to apply for protection from to do more than meet with
ty, and Latinos account for caucuses and later carried applying to legally rejoin deportation. her "just to check off a box,"
roughly 19% of the elector- the purple state. their family. Sen. Bernie Sanders has Murrieta said. The Supreme
ate, according to the Pew Her endorsement "gives "It's very different when proposed extending pro- Court heard arguments last
Research Center. Many that candidate the abil- you're the one that's afraid tection to parents of legal week about whether Presi-
of those voters are Demo- ity to say that they have of the police, when you're residents, along with plac- dent Donald Trump can
crats, making Nevada's been vetted by someone the one that's afraid of ICE, ing a moratorium on all terminate the DACA pro-
contest a critical test of who is fighting with the im- when you're the one that deportations and allowing gram, and a decision is ex-
the candidates' appeal migrant community for the goes to bed at night think- those without legal status pected by the end of June.
among a group with rising immigrant community," ing, 'Will I come home to- to get health coverage Opponents on the right
political power in the party. said Democratic state Sen. morrow?'" Silva said. under his "Medicare for All" argue DACA protections
While immigration has tak- Yvanna Cancela, a close Silva sometimes tells them plan. His campaign has reward people who broke
en a back seat to health friend of Silva's. her story, about crossing been working to set up a the law and encourage
care and impeachment Silva is wary of giving that the border from Mexico at meeting with Silva. more people to immigrate
in the national primary stamp of approval easily. age 4 with her parents with- Buttigieg and Silva spoke without legal permission.q