From the YouTube channel of IDREAM Campaign:
IDREAM campaign and A 1986 Project is proud to present "Untitled" a 12-episode series documenting the faces of undocumented youth in Arizona.
In this short teaser of Angelica Hernandez's Untitled Piece, she shares with us what being a Dreamer means to her.
To learn more about the IDREAM Campaign, you can visit its main page here or click on the following image.
This is in from YouTube and illegalmovieproject:
"A compassionate look at undocumented youth in the United States.
Executive Producer: Curry Glassell
Producer: Diana Espitia and Luis Velez
Director/Editor: John X. Carey | johnxcarey.com | twitter.com/#!/Johnxcarey | http://www.facebook.com/john.x.carey
Directors of Photography: Chris Saul, Mike Mitchell Music composed and produced by: Bill Francis More
info: http://www.illegalmovie.org Friend us: http://www.facebook.com/IllegalMovie
Follow us: https://twitter.com/#!/illegalmovie
Through a series of interviews with undocumented kids, activists, policymakers, non-profit leaders, educators and members of the clergy Illegal seeks to raise the consciousness level of the American public regarding the importance of full immigration reform. Illegal is an independent documentary film financed by Houston philanthropist Curry Glassell."
Here is what the Department of Homeland Security released around 10:15 EST TODAY:
Release Date: June 15, 2012
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010WASHINGTON— Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today announced that effective immediately, certain young people who were brought to the United States as young children, do not present a risk to national security or public safety, and meet several key criteria will be considered for relief from removal from the country or from entering into removal proceedings. Those who demonstrate that they meet the criteria will be eligible to receive deferred action for a period of two years, subject to renewal, and will be eligible to apply for work authorization.
“Our nation’s immigration laws must be enforced in a firm and sensible manner,” said Secretary Napolitano. “But they are not designed to be blindly enforced without consideration given to the individual circumstances of each case. Nor are they designed to remove productive young people to countries where they may not have lived or even speak the language. Discretion, which is used in so many other areas, is especially justified here.”
DHS continues to focus its enforcement resources on the removal of individuals who pose a national security or public safety risk, including immigrants convicted of crimes, violent criminals, felons, and repeat immigration law offenders. Today’s action further enhances the Department’s ability to focus on these priority removals.
Under this directive, individuals who demonstrate that they meet the following criteria will be eligible for an exercise of discretion, specifically deferred action, on a case by case basis:
- Came to the United States under the age of sixteen;
- Have continuously resided in the United States for a least five years preceding the date of this memorandum and are present in the United States on the date of this memorandum;
- Are currently in school, have graduated from high school, have obtained a general education development certificate, or are honorably discharged veterans of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States;
- Have not been convicted of a felony offense, a significant misdemeanor offense, multiple misdemeanor offenses, or otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety;
- Are not above the age of thirty.
Only those individuals who can prove through verifiable documentation that they meet these criteria will be eligible for deferred action. Individuals will not be eligible if they are not currently in the United States and cannot prove that they have been physically present in the United States for a period of not less than 5 years immediately preceding today’s date. Deferred action requests are decided on a case-by-case basis. DHS cannot provide any assurance that all such requests will be granted. The use of prosecutorial discretion confers no substantive right, immigration status, or pathway to citizenship. Only the Congress, acting through its legislative authority, can confer these rights.
While this guidance takes effect immediately, USCIS and ICE expect to begin implementation of the application processes within sixty days. In the meantime, individuals seeking more information on the new policy should visit USCIS’s website (at www.uscis.gov), ICE’s website (at www.ice.gov), or DHS’s website (at www.dhs.gov). Beginning Monday, individuals can also call USCIS’ hotline at 1-800-375-5283 or ICE’s hotline at 1-888-351-4024 during business hours with questions or to request more information on the forthcoming process.
For individuals who are in removal proceedings and have already been identified as meeting the eligibility criteria and have been offered an exercise of discretion as part of ICE’s ongoing case-by-case review, ICE will immediately begin to offer them deferred action for a period of two years, subject to renewal.
For more information on the Administration policy reforms to date, please see this fact sheet.
We got this posting from our friends at Gozamos and from the Immigration Youth Justice League.
On Saturday March 10 at 1pm CST, a rally will be held at Daley Plaza in Chicago. You can find more information about this rally on its Facebook event page:
Coming Out of the Shadows Day National Coming Out of the Shadows Day began here in Chicago on March 10th, 2010 and then spread all over the nation. Since then, young people have been “coming out” as undocumented to their friends, teachers, legislators, and classmates, which has even led to actions of civil disobedience in Arizona, Washington D.C., New York, Illinois, California, Texas, Georgia, and Alabama.
Last year, during March 10th, undocumented immigrant youth along with our allies publicly defied fear and criminalization without shame by declaring to be "undocumented, unafraid, and unapologetic" in the pursuit of equal rights and immigration reform.
Now, in 2012, we are still undocumented and are still finding people who have lived silent and scared for too long. We believe that being able to speak publicly about being undocumented, despite our fears, lets us remember that we are not doing anything wrong, and that we have the right to be here and be treated as human beings. We are no longer going to allow anyone to blame our parents for bringing us to the U.S. when we were young. Coming out is a way to challenge immigration enforcement to make a choice: take action and show the world that the people they are deporting are us –students, workers, their friends, classmates; or stay silent and affirm our right to be undocumented and unafraid.
Today is the time that the undocumented youth movement is taking ownership of our actions, our politics, our stories, and the risks that we are willing to take for the movement.
Come out and join the Immigrant Youth Justice League, Nuestra Voz, and LOY@L from Chicago and suburbs as we come out of the shadows on March 10th 2012. Invite your friends and bring your voice!
Much love,
IYJL, Nuestra Voz, LOY@L
*Note to those who are undocumented: Please know that as individuals and as an organization we have experience doing actions like this, including civil disobedience where as part of the strategy undocumented youth have gotten arrested. Immigration enforcement has never intervened, as we are all still here. None of us are planning to get arrested this time; it is NOT a civil disobedience or direct action. This is a rally to empower undocumented people, but we wanted to make sure you knew that in our experience immigration will NOT show up (and that if they do, it would be bad for their public image and good for our movement). We also have legal counsel and training should anyone get harassed, etc. Lastly, even if someone does get detained as a result of coming out, we have won campaign after campaign to fight youth deportations, and we will win again.
For various opportunities to financially support please visit
http://www.facebook.com/events/189035341197785/ And if you can't join us, you can always organize your own event or support us by donating online
Donations: http://bit.ly/wxK9K4
50 ways to come out Undocumented Unafraid:
http://www.iyjl.org/?p=2863
[email protected]
This was the promotion video for the 2011 rally.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Contact:
Erika Andiola
(480) 278-6843
[email protected]
Romney Tells Undocumented Youth He Will Veto the Dream Act Because She Is "Illegal"
Bracing signs saying “WE VETO ROMNEY”, undocumented youth gathered at the Sheraton Hotel in New York City to challenge Mitt Romney yet again about his promise to veto the Dream Act. They were there delivering a message to Romney during his fundraiser on how he needs to change his stance on this legislation if he is serious about attracting Latino voters, who will be a determining factor in the presidential race.
After being approached by Sheraton security as well as the NYPD and changing the demonstration around several times, Dreamers were able to make it inside the second floor Sheraton conference hall. Lucy, a Dreamer who was brought to the country when she was 10, made her way through a room full of Romney supporters to speak with Mitt Romney himself.
“Are you going to support the DREAM Act” Lucy asked. “I already said, across the country, I would veto the Dream Act” the GOP frontrunner answered. “I’m undocumented. I want to know then, why are you not supporting my dream?” Lucy inquired. “Because if someone comes here illegally…” Romney replied, however, was cut off with “But I didn’t come here illegally, and I have a 4.0 GPA” “that’s wonderful” he replied, his discomfort showing a bit. A Romney handler, perhaps a bodyguard, quickly inserted himself between them, pushing Lucy back.
Lucy made her way out while Romney supporters berated her. They booed and hissed, saying that she was illegal and not worth keeping in the country. As she made her way out, she heard one man yell “Go back to Mexico.” She turned around and replied “I’m not Mexican, I’m Peruvian.” Later, undocumented youth caught a glimpse of Romney getting into a large, black SUV to make his exit. They approached him, chanting "We Veto Romney".
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DRM Capitol Group serves as a voice for undocumented youth. Our work ensures that undocumented youth are represented in the halls of power and are correctly and directly informed of the actions of Congress, Executive Agencies, and the Courts.
From YouTube:
Jonathan and Isaac, both DREAM Act eligible youth, test out Obama's new policy about detaining and deporting "low priority" immigrants. Both now find themselves in the Basile Detention Center in Louisiana. Help us bring them home for the holidays. www.dreamactivist.org
Long live the DREAMERS. Long live the committed, young, and beautiful DREAMERS, who will fight for immigration justice in the United States of America. Long live the DREAMERS who will tell President Barack Obama that he MUST do more. Long live the DREAMERS who are in constant action and telling their amazing stories. They represent what AMERICA is all about: a place that celebrates hard work, passion, and vision.
LONG LIVE THE DREAMERS ©Amy Mejia
LatinoRebels.com and JulioRVarela.com are proud to support the amazing group behind 67 Sueños, a project born out of the efforts of migrant youth that is determined to change the world.
We will gladly promote their efforts, and so should you!
MISSION STATEMENT
The 67 Sueños project was born out of the recognition that the majority of migrant youth were not being included in the debates about OUR future that were and are happening nationally. Our goal is to raise those/our underprivileged migrant youth voices to expand the debate and the legislative possibilities.
ANGELS AND DEMONS
Whenever Americans are presented with an image of undocumented youth there are two black and white categories that we are most often pigeonholed into. Those opposed to providing a path to legal status for undocumented youth are likely to promote images of undocumented people as “criminals”. In these circles we are all drug runners, coyotes, gun smugglers, gang bangers and fraud artists. On the other side of the spectrum liberals, democrats and even the immigrants rights movement is likely to offer a “sympathetic” counter narrative that highlights the most exceptional individuals in our community. In these circles we are only likely to hear from those with 4.0 grade point averages, multiple degrees, the valedictorians, the student body presidents who demonstrate best that we are not “criminals”.
ELBOW ROOM
Elbowed out of this black and white set of narratives are the majority of migrant youth who in fact are not much different from our documented classmates. Most of us are not presidents of the student body or drug runners. Some of us get good grades but it is very hard for us to be academically competitive given our socio-economic realities and the underfunded school systems we rely on. The poverty that runs deep through our community does lead some of us to crime. We are also often excessively policed and criminalized regardless of our guilt or innocence. Things like racial profiling in the form of ganging injunctions, and laws like SB1070 in Arizona along with excessive check points in our communities make us more likely to have involvements with law enforcement than our peers. A true picture of our community would include some crime and some exceptional students but the vast majority of us are not so easily sorted into these two categories.
NO DREAM FOR MOST
This black and white portrait is important because it becomes the starting point for all efforts on behalf of migrant youth. Since 2001 the main legislative relief that has been offered to migrant youth – from our life in the shadows with little opportunities after high school – has been the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act would provide much needed relief but only to a small slice of the undocumented youth community. Namely those who graduate high school and are able to attend a 4-year institution for 2 years on their own dime and those high school graduates or GED acquiring students who are willing and able to join the Military in time of War. These are options that leave the vast majority, 67% by some estimates, of undocumented youth elbowed out of the legislative lifeline.
NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US
The same 67% missing from the national narratives is the 67% left out of legislative efforts, hence the name 67 Sueños. We hope to tell our own stories through video interviews, stories of migrant youth who are not 4.0 students or hardened “criminals”. These videos will be the vehicle by which we inject the realities and perspectives of the missing 67 percent into the immigrant’s rights movement and the national dialogue. First we join the conversations, next we demand to be included in the legislative efforts. As we collect stories and sharpen our connections and understanding to this underrepresented community we will be meeting with members of congress to advocate for everyone left out of the current efforts. To borrow a powerful quote from the disability rights movement, “Nothing About Us Without Us!”
