Undocumented Students Begin a Walk to Remember

by Alex DiBranco · 2010-01-05 09:24:00 UTC
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On New Years Day, when most of their peers were sleeping off hangovers, four immigrant students put on their walking shoes and set out from Miami's Freedom Tower on a 1,500 mile walk. Why the trek? The students are headed to D.C. to protest the White House dragging its feet on immigration reform.

Three of the students choosing to walk the "Trail of Dreams" are undocumented, meaning they'll be at risk for deportation throughout the march. Hundreds more protestors, both undocumented individuals and sympathizers, will join for stretches along the journey and to hear the students tell their stories along the way. Upon arriving at Barack Obama's doorstep on May 1st, the youth hope that 100,000 supporters will gather for a major rally.

The protestors particularly want a stop to the deportation of youth who were brought to the United States by their parents as children, and of undocumented immigrants whose partners or children are legal citizens. One of the students, Carlos Roa, has lived in the United States since age two, long before he could even understand what "immigration law" means. This is the home he knows, and he wants to be recognized as a valid contributing member and citizen.

Felipe Matos, who was 14 when he arrived in America, had to pass on his acceptance to Duke University because, as an undocumented student, he was ineligible for financial aid. At Miami Dade, his alma mater, he stood out as the student government president, but now can't get a job as a teacher without legal status. What a waste of brainpower.

Tired of waiting, tired of watching their peers deported, tired of living in fear that they'll be next, these students are talking with their feet. Are the president and Congress listening?

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Alex DiBranco is a Change.org Editor who has worked for the Nation, Political Research Associates, and the Center for American Progress. She is now based in New York City.
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