This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/29/obama-dreamers-president-immigration-reform
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Obama's dreamers: 'The president owes it to my family. He owes us respect' | Obama's dreamers: 'The president owes it to my family. He owes us respect' |
| (30 days later) | |
| When Barack Obama unveils his aspirations for immigration reform in a speech in Las Vegas on Tuesday, for many in the audience, it will be personal. Listening to his remarks will be members of the city's Latino community who have spent years living in the legal shadows. | When Barack Obama unveils his aspirations for immigration reform in a speech in Las Vegas on Tuesday, for many in the audience, it will be personal. Listening to his remarks will be members of the city's Latino community who have spent years living in the legal shadows. |
| Before tickets were distributed to attend the speech, some of these undocumented "dreamers" – those who would benefit from Obama's long-delayed Dream Act – gathered to discuss their expectations for his announcement. | Before tickets were distributed to attend the speech, some of these undocumented "dreamers" – those who would benefit from Obama's long-delayed Dream Act – gathered to discuss their expectations for his announcement. |
| "We're looking forward to shared principles, such as the pathway to citizenship, protecting the rights of workers, and, most importantly, ensuring that we fix our system and keep our families together," said Leo Murrieta, the state director for Mi Familia Vota. | "We're looking forward to shared principles, such as the pathway to citizenship, protecting the rights of workers, and, most importantly, ensuring that we fix our system and keep our families together," said Leo Murrieta, the state director for Mi Familia Vota. |
| In front of invited media, undocumented dreamers revealed their stories, saying they're doing this "for their parents," as organizers unveiled a campaign to educate new supporters on how to lobby their congressmen. | In front of invited media, undocumented dreamers revealed their stories, saying they're doing this "for their parents," as organizers unveiled a campaign to educate new supporters on how to lobby their congressmen. |
| Astrid Silva, a 24-year-old dreamer, said: "Comprehensive immigration reform is what's most important." It was a sign of their tenacity and momentum. It seemed that a movement focused once almost exclusively on the status of young undocumented immigrants had quickly grown up. | Astrid Silva, a 24-year-old dreamer, said: "Comprehensive immigration reform is what's most important." It was a sign of their tenacity and momentum. It seemed that a movement focused once almost exclusively on the status of young undocumented immigrants had quickly grown up. |
| "There's no way around it. The piecemeals are ending," Silva said. "The Dream Act was piecemeal; it was sort of saying: here's a little bit of the population that can go ahead, but we know that there are so many families that need this. There is close to 11 million families, individuals that are here undocumented – that's countless numbers of families." | "There's no way around it. The piecemeals are ending," Silva said. "The Dream Act was piecemeal; it was sort of saying: here's a little bit of the population that can go ahead, but we know that there are so many families that need this. There is close to 11 million families, individuals that are here undocumented – that's countless numbers of families." |
| Indeed, for many dreamers, President Obama's "deferred action" order didn't provide much security at all, since so many dreamers live with their parents and depend on them for support. | Indeed, for many dreamers, President Obama's "deferred action" order didn't provide much security at all, since so many dreamers live with their parents and depend on them for support. |
| Rafael, one such dreamer who will be in the audience for the president's announcement, said his parents are paying his college tuition while raising his young sister. "I want to hear Obama say that as long as you don't have a criminal record, which my parents don't, you qualify for citizenship," he said. | Rafael, one such dreamer who will be in the audience for the president's announcement, said his parents are paying his college tuition while raising his young sister. "I want to hear Obama say that as long as you don't have a criminal record, which my parents don't, you qualify for citizenship," he said. |
| Rafael aspires to study law one day, and said: "One of my complications has been: after I get my degree, then what? Deferred action changed that; now I have a way to actually work legally in the US. This is about my parents now. | Rafael aspires to study law one day, and said: "One of my complications has been: after I get my degree, then what? Deferred action changed that; now I have a way to actually work legally in the US. This is about my parents now. |
| "My concern is that any time, immigration can come to my house, break down the door and take my parents. I live with them, I depend on them, and I honestly don't know what I'd do without them." | "My concern is that any time, immigration can come to my house, break down the door and take my parents. I live with them, I depend on them, and I honestly don't know what I'd do without them." |
| Blanca Gomez, another dreamer who wants to study law and one day, as a US citizen, vote for the candidates she supports, sympathized with Rafael's fears. Speaking to the roomful of Latino activists, she said that at home the issue of deportation was taboo. "You don't want to talk about it, but you have to because it's a reality, and you have to prepare for the worst. | Blanca Gomez, another dreamer who wants to study law and one day, as a US citizen, vote for the candidates she supports, sympathized with Rafael's fears. Speaking to the roomful of Latino activists, she said that at home the issue of deportation was taboo. "You don't want to talk about it, but you have to because it's a reality, and you have to prepare for the worst. |
| "There is the constant fear that our parents can be separated from us. When you receive a text message or a phone call in the early morning from a friend stating that they're taking their mother away, or that their father is being detained in an ICE detention center, and when it's too late for some because you receive word that their parents are gone … the text messages and phone calls resonate with you. You never know when you will be the one calling or sending a text message saying your parents are being taken away." | "There is the constant fear that our parents can be separated from us. When you receive a text message or a phone call in the early morning from a friend stating that they're taking their mother away, or that their father is being detained in an ICE detention center, and when it's too late for some because you receive word that their parents are gone … the text messages and phone calls resonate with you. You never know when you will be the one calling or sending a text message saying your parents are being taken away." |
| It's that fear, that pain, they say, that has galvanized their movement. | It's that fear, that pain, they say, that has galvanized their movement. |
| Two weeks ago, five women calling themselves Madres Unidas por Justicia – Mothers United For Justice – started a group to support women whose husbands were deported. They said they had 31 members now supporting 12 women, some with kids as young as 10. | Two weeks ago, five women calling themselves Madres Unidas por Justicia – Mothers United For Justice – started a group to support women whose husbands were deported. They said they had 31 members now supporting 12 women, some with kids as young as 10. |
| Barbara Silva, one of the group's five founders, said they were "united in pain," and was moved to tears when she detailed how her own husband was detained for a number of weeks. | Barbara Silva, one of the group's five founders, said they were "united in pain," and was moved to tears when she detailed how her own husband was detained for a number of weeks. |
| A tireless Obama supporter, Silva also said that she canvassed Las Vegas neighborhoods day and night for the president's re-election campaign, pleading with fellow Latinos in to vote for him but often meeting strong reluctance. "It was hard. I said: see the other side! I never give up. I said: please, you are my friend, and you want to help me? We have to give one more chance to Mr Obama because he is our hope,'" she recalled. | A tireless Obama supporter, Silva also said that she canvassed Las Vegas neighborhoods day and night for the president's re-election campaign, pleading with fellow Latinos in to vote for him but often meeting strong reluctance. "It was hard. I said: see the other side! I never give up. I said: please, you are my friend, and you want to help me? We have to give one more chance to Mr Obama because he is our hope,'" she recalled. |
| As the meeting wound down, the young activists joked and made plans to meet before the speech, clearly excited to see the president. Murrieta, the director of Mi Familia Vota, remained unmoved, however. "In November we didn't vote for a president. We were voting for immigration reform," he said. | As the meeting wound down, the young activists joked and made plans to meet before the speech, clearly excited to see the president. Murrieta, the director of Mi Familia Vota, remained unmoved, however. "In November we didn't vote for a president. We were voting for immigration reform," he said. |
| "We were voting for justice. I'm looking for the president not to focus on policy, but to focus on the families that his administration has let down, that his administration has separated. We need to respect the suffering and the struggles that they've gone through. | "We were voting for justice. I'm looking for the president not to focus on policy, but to focus on the families that his administration has let down, that his administration has separated. We need to respect the suffering and the struggles that they've gone through. |
| "The president owes it to this family, that family, my family. He owes us some respect, and he should acknowledge that fact, because these were the people who were out there knocking on doors registering people to vote – and they have no voice," Murrieta said. | "The president owes it to this family, that family, my family. He owes us some respect, and he should acknowledge that fact, because these were the people who were out there knocking on doors registering people to vote – and they have no voice," Murrieta said. |
| They do have a voice, though. And Murrieta acknowledged as much looking toward the midterm elections. "In 2014," he said, "we're either going to punish or we're going to reward every person in Congress based on their votes on immigration reform." | They do have a voice, though. And Murrieta acknowledged as much looking toward the midterm elections. "In 2014," he said, "we're either going to punish or we're going to reward every person in Congress based on their votes on immigration reform." |
| "We're a national organization," he added. "We work with groups like this around the country." | "We're a national organization," he added. "We work with groups like this around the country." |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. | |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. |