Immigrant students and families demand reform

Editor,

Promises are not supposed to be broken.

Our families have experienced too many broken promises. Our parents and families migrated to the United States with the promise of the American Dream. For years, our communities have been promised “la reforma” if we organized. President Obama promised us in July that by the end of the summer he would announce an executive order to record deportations and stop family separations.

Now the White House is telling us that the announcement will be delayed until after the Congressional elections in November.

The UNM Dream Team and our families are tired of broken promises.

We organize to give power to undocumented immigrant students and families. In New Mexico we have a history of organizing for licenses, in-state tuition, state financial aid and wage theft protections.

We are tired of broken promises, but we are more tired of being afraid — afraid of deportation. We are tired of our families being used for political games and are not seen as people who deserve the right to live and work in this country without fear.

The UNM Dream Team calls for President Obama to rethink his delay of extending administrative relief. We also call on our elected officials from local, county, state and national levels to stand with immigrants to demand that this happens today before 1,100 more people are deported in the next 24 hours or 70,000 more people are deported before the midterm elections.

What can you do? Call President Obama at (202)456-1111 and tell him why you and your family need him to stand with immigrants today and not after November elections.

Sincerely,

UNM Dream Team