Maine Voices: Path to citizenship ensures that Dreamers – and Maine – fulfill our full potential Those of us who came to America as children can’t risk buying a home or starting a business when the next president could deport us. By Erick Molina-GarciaSpecial to the Press Herald Share I was 6 years old when my parents brought me to Portland from El Salvador. Gang violence and government corruption were rampant, and America offered safety. Soon I was your typical American kid. I learned English, played soccer, served as vice president of my freshman class and graduated with honors. In El Salvador, even walking to school would have put me in danger.