A year has passed since 22 senators signed a letter asking President Obama to provide deferred action for DREAM Act-eligible students. Deferred action, or other forms of administrative relief, would mean deportation proceedings for DREAMers could be cancelled or suspended, protecting them from return to a country many don’t remember.
Since the senators’ letter, faith communities have mobilized by holding DREAM Act Sabbaths to educate congregations about the needs of DREAMers. States have passed laws helping undocumented students with the high cost of tuition. But after attempts to pass the DREAM Act failed in 2010, the immigrant community is still waiting for Congress to pass the DREAM Act to allow youth to remain permanently here in the country they call home.
In the absence of progress from Congress, United We Dream is kicking off a new campaign. The Right to Dream campaign rallies DREAMers and allies around the newly-released Declaration of Dreams, asking President Obama to grant administrative relief for DREAMers.
The campaign kicked earlier in May with events and rallies across the country. Students like Kevin Lopez, a rising high school senior who came to the United States when he was five years old, shared stories and dreams for the future. Kevin hopes to become a lawyer, helping other immigrants achieve citizenship. He wants to give back to his community, a right enshrined in the Declaration of Dreams.
LIRS and our friends across the country have advocated and prayed for the passage of the federal DREAM Act. In its absence, we support administrative solutions to a problem that has too long been ignored. With faith and action, we hope to soon live in a nation where all have the right to live without fear, with families and loved ones, giving back to the communities we call home.