Sacrificing for a DREAM

A new element in the fight for justice to the immigrants has been activism among young immigrants, especially those who are undocumented students. There have been marches of young people across the country – from California and Arizona to Washington, D.C. as well as from east coast cities. Now they have come out of the shadows to demonstrate in the U.S. Capitol.

Twenty-one students were arrested Wednesday, but they showed up again the next day in front of the White House. They were asking that Congress pass the DREAM Act which would provide a path to citizenship (through college education or military service) for undocumented students who were brought to this country as children, educated in U.S. schools, and have a clean record. Support for the act has been growing in both houses of Congress. There is the hope that, even if comprehensive reform fails, the DREAM Act might pass this year (see Washington Post).