Activists ask Udall to DREAM

Chelsea Erven

Thirty protestors chanted outside Senator Tom Udall’s downtown office June 15 trying to convince the senator to co-sponsor the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act as a stand-alone bill.

The DREAM Act would give undocumented immigrant students who have resided in the U.S. since age 15 or before conditional residency and a pathway to citizenship. Under the law, students are eligible as long as they complete a college degree or serve two years in the military.
Demonstrators held signs that said, “We DREAM. We Act,” and “N.M. Officials: Don’t turn your backs on our community.”

Claudia Anguiano, co-founder of the New Mexico Coalition, organized the effort to garner support for the DREAM Act in New Mexico.

“The N.M. Coalition wanted to show that New Mexico stands beside these students and supports the act strongly as well,” Anguiano said. “The time to pass the DREAM Act is now. The more we stall, we are stalling the dreams of about 7,000 students each year who graduate and may be able to go into higher education but have no pathways to legalization and no ways to be part of formal society.”

So far, Anguiano said representatives from the New Mexico Coalition approached several state senators and got support from U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Martin Heinrich. However, Anguiano said Udall has been hesitant to voice his support. According to Udall’s website, the senator supports comprehensive immigration reform but doesn’t specify his position on the DREAM Act itself.

The group, composed of more than 17 different organizations, including UNM El Centro de la Raza, GPSA, Lambda Theta Phi Latino Fraternity and the Mexican Student Association, tried to get the bill passed by June 15, but it became clear that wasn’t going to happen.
A formal decision or declaration of Udall’s support was not made as of June 15.

In an effort to bring attention to the matter, students organized solidarity vigils, hunger strikes and civil disobedience actions, Anguiano said.

CNM student Angel Pardo said the New Mexico Coalition promotes a peaceful approach to push legislation. Part of its approach included asking passersby to sign a petition during the demonstration. The petition had more than 65 signatures at day’s end.

Protesters were able to meet with one of Udall’s representatives, State Director Bianca Ortiz Wertheim, and relay their stories and reasons for Udall to support the DREAM Act.

UNM student Adrianna McGinley said that the DREAM Act is of special interest to her because her mother immigrated from Mexico.

“These immigrants are people who have lived here all their lives. They speak English, and this is the only home they know. They want to work and go to school and contribute to society. We are kicking out and deporting some of the brightest students who could do so much for our country,” McGinley said.

McGinley said that the New Mexico Coalition is pushing for the DREAM Act to pass as a stand-alone act.

“Comprehensive immigration reform is very broad and covers many issues,” she said. “This act is a small stepping stone. This is simple. It’s just students.”