Every school year, the first assignment that students are asked to do is depict their hopes and dreams. When Manuel*, an undocumented kindergarten student, draws a picture of his future self as a veterinarian, I struggle to think about whether that dream can ever become a reality. Every year over 65,000 undocumented students graduate from high school. That is 65,000 different Manuels that are not meeting their full potential because they have nowhere to go. At the moment, high school graduates can apply for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA.) DACA provides a two-year period where applicants can get a work permit and in some cases a license. However, you cannot get financial aid or in-state tuition. Even this huge step in immigration reform is only an executive order and can be revoked by our current president or any future president.
What will happen to Manuel's dream and the thousands of others like him? Will there be a dream he can believe in?
I was at the March for Immigration Reform today. If you couldn't be there today, check out United We Dream for more ways to take action.
*name has been changed to protect privacy
