Did you hear the President?
Today was an incredible step forward in making the DREAM a reality!
After two years of calling for action from Congress and the President, DREAMers scored a huge victory when the President signed an executive order that will end deportations of DREAM eligible students and create a pathway to obtain work visas. It’s no accident that this announcement was given by the President today – students from groups like Student Labor Action Project, United We Dream, National Immigrant Youth Alliance and more have been organizing to make President Obama take a stand he should have two years ago. From pickets outside of Obama campaign headquarters, to banner drops, and in some cases even occupying Obama campaign offices, it was made clear: inaction is not acceptable.
Maria Jennings, a SLAP student from University of California, Santa Cruz, added: “This shows the power of the student movement. When we are willing to challenge elected officials, we win. And won’t stop until we have won the DREAM Act.”
What happened today was a great first step towards making education a right and ensuring that students don’t have to be afraid to pursue a higher education, but it’s only a temporary fix to a permnant problem. We need the DREAM Act. What we learned is that when we fight for it, we win. As we move towards November we will keep the fight going.
In solidarity,
SLAP Leadership Committee
