Deportable undocumented students are continuing to walk across America for the Federal DREAM Act, despite President Obama’s Deferred Action Announcement. They were recently joined by six students from Prescott College in Arizona.

INDIANAPOLIS – Campaign for an American DREAM (CAD) has arrived to Indianapolis, IN and will hold a Lobby day at the capital followed by a Press Conference at 11:30am outside of the Capital building. CAD is a grassroots organization led by undocumented youth walking from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. for the passage of a comprehensive Federal DREAM Act, while educating and empowering communities. CAD has been on the road walking since March 10th, 2012 and has currently walked 2,1 miles. CAD was recently joined by six students from Prescott College in Northern Arizona, who are studying immigration policy and educational access for marginalized youth.

“We must continue fighting for the DREAM Act”, says Veronica Gomez, one of the walkers. “Even though President Obama has issued a memorandum granting Deferred Action (DA) to qualifying undocumented youth, this does not mean that all undocumented youth will be granted relief from deportation”. Veronica states, “it is important that legislators pass the DREAM Act and not use band-aid solutions.”

CAD was the first to take action in a sit-in and hunger strike at the Obama Campaign Office in Denver, Colorado demanding that the President issue an Executive Order, stopping the deportation of DREAM Act eligible youth. Instead we got a memorandum with DA that does not qualify to all undocumented youth in this country.

“My passion and career interest is advocating for an equitable education system for all youth”, says Liza Yorke, an Education and Social Justice major at Prescott College. “I believe that the mission of CAD aligns with those values and it is important that America address these issues.”

The Federal DREAM Act would create a pathway for undocumented youth to become legalized by conditional residency, followed by permanent residency and finally citizenship. Without the DREAM Act, memorandums like the DA from the Obama Administration will simply temporally give undocumented youth a work permit and save them for deportation. “President Obama’s DA is a step in the right direction”, says Raymi Gutierrez, the only US citizen walking with CAD, “but this is simply not enough.”

CAD will continue walking across the country, empowering and educating communities on why it is important that we continue to fight for the Federal DREAM Act. CAD started in San Francisco, covering California and moving east passing through Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, and now Indiana. The route also includes Ohio, Kentucky, Georgia, West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland. CAD will arrive in D.C. on November 2nd, just 4 days before the presidential election.

###

CAD’s mission is to walk across the nation from San Francisco to D.C creating dialogue around the passage of the DREAM Act and fixing our broken immigration system with the clause of equality, unity, and diversity. CAD believes all people are equal, all those who are oppressed should be united, and our daily lives and the Campaign itself highlight diversity.