Obama, Hear Our Dreams
Dear Friends,
“Hello, my name is Gaby and I am an undocumented student.”
That is how I have introduced myself to Florida congressional offices, Georgia Police Chiefs, the South Carolina Secretary of Education, and countless everyday folks along the Trail of Dreams I am walking from Miami to Washington, D.C.
Then, I hug them.
Something happens when I hug people. In their eyes, I am no longer an alien. They see me as a person, a person with love to give.
My friends, Juan, Felipe, Carlos and I are nearing the end of our 1,500-mile journey, during which we have shared our stories with thousands of people. When we arrive in D.C next week, we hope to meet with President Obama to share our stories yet again.
I would tell President Obama how my otherwise supportive university would be required to report me to Immigration Enforcement if I fell behind on my tuition payments. Felipe could share how he was accepted to several major universities, his life-long goal, and then discovered he couldn’t attend because he doesn’t have a social security number. Carlos would tell the President about how he was prepared to join the military and fight for the country he has lived in since he was two, but how his lack of legal documents made him ineligible.
President Obama has the power to set us free from fear today. He can institute an executive action halting detentions and deportations of undocumented students for two years, and halt removal proceedings for undocumented individuals with immediate family members who are U.S. Citizens. These immediate measures are an important first step towards larger and longer lasting reforms.
The Trail of Dreams will end on May 1st. But we will continue walking and standing on the side of love, until we grasp our dreams.
Thank you for your support,
Gaby
Gaby Pacheco
Walker, Trail of Dreams
