Delay of Deportation Review
It has become evident over the past few years that there has been a systemic failure with regards to immigration reform. One of the major reasons is the lack of bipartisan cooperation between both parties resulting in immigration policy being used as a pawn in the D.C. politics chess game. Apparently, politicians are more concerned with approval ratings than actually getting their hands dirty and fixing the broken US immigration system. Earlier this year President Obama requested that Jeh Johnson, the Secretary of Homeland Security, complete a review of deportation policies. This review was
Are you Preparing to Renew your DACA?
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released their renewal process for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA). If you are getting ready to renew, go on over to this page: http://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/consideration-deferred-action-childhood-arrivals-process/ice-granted-daca-renewal-guidance If you need help deciphering the renewal process, United We Dream has some great resources to help you. They provide answers to questions, such as: LIVE DACA Renewal Broadcasts Q&A with Top Attorneys & National Experts Personalized DACA Renewal
In Memoriam of Those Who Made the Ultimate Sacrifice
I hope that everyone had a great Memorial Day Weekend and had the opportunity to honor the men and women who have served and protected the United States. Growing up in America, students known as DREAMers have many of the same interests and goals as any other young American. For some, the goal is to attend college after high school. And like other Americans, there are also DREAMers who want to give back to the country that they grew up in, love and call their home, by serving in the US Armed Forces. Unfortunately, the dreams of those who want to serve in the military can’t be fulfilled rig
Mother’s Day and DREAMers
We would like to extend our wishes for a very Happy Mother’s Day to all of our moms out there! In particular, our hearts go out to those mothers who are forced to spend this day apart from their children. If there was any doubt before that the United States immigration system needs to be reformed, our nation’s current deportation and immigration policies have made it so that children can go for several years without getting to see their parents. Juan’s saga, in DREAM: An American Story, touches upon this situation; when Juan’s parents are deported back to Colombia, 7 years passed be
Immigration Reform from the Ground Up: A Filmmaker’s Perspective
When I embarked on this journey over four years ago, I never thought I would witness what is happening in the country today: Congress is seriously debating passage of a bill that would overhaul our dysfunctional immigration system. What’s more, after several failed attempts in the past couple of decades, it looks as though the legislation has a real shot at becoming law. As a filmmaker and a first generation Hispanic American, I had only one thought in mind when I started directing DREAM: An American Story and that thought was: “I need to help the Hispanic American community in this nat
Today is the DAY!
Well...today is the day peeps...and it couldn't be more important that you find a way to get to the polls and vote on this Tuesday, November 6, 2012! Tons of organizations, like Voto Latino, National Council of La Raza and United We Dream have been working diligently to get our gente to the booths to vote for the next President of the United States and set the direction our country will take. [caption id="attachment_1374" align="alignnone" width="680" caption="Click on the image to understand why it's so important that you get out and vote today"][/caption] But it's not just the P
Why Passing the DREAM Act Would Benefit the Economy
There has been a lot of controversy surrounding passage of the DREAM Act. Many arguments have been made from both sides of the political spectrum regarding how the United States should deal with the issue of immigration. But aside from the political and social consequences of implementing legislation that would offer a select group of immigrants the opportunity to gain a path to citizenship, the DREAM act would create several economic opportunities for the country by providing more taxable income, saving taxpayer money and increasing revenue for higher learning organizations. Here’s how…
Immigrants + Innovation = Economic Prosperity for all Americans
Check out the new video we just produced...hot off the proverbial media presses: And this my friends, is why we support passage of the DREAM Act...because it makes good economic sense. DREAMers will be the first in line to get a higher education, which translates to higher levels of innovation and entrepreneurship...to the benefit of all Americans! I hope you have a great weekend. PS: Feel free to share!
Happy Dia De Los Muertos!
Happy Halloween and Dia de los Muertos! Tonight, I will be celebrating Halloween by baby-sitting my brother's house (and passing out some candy to the neighborhood kids that come knocking), while he takes his baby girl out trick or treating in the neighborhood. A great American tradition and one that I will celebrate not only tonight, but also tomorrow, by attending a Halloween Ball. But as a Hispanic American, I will also be celebrating another tradition, a tradition known as el "Dia de los Muertos," and observed throughout the Latino world. [caption id="attachment_1354" align="ali