Dreamers

Dreamers and allies in Iowa 5-10-13

Dreamers and allies gather at AFSC following their meeting with U.S. Rep. Tom Latham to discuss the need for comprehensive immigration reform.

Advocates for comprehensive immigration reform met with U.S. Rep. Tom Latham and staff at his Des Moines office on May 10, 2013. Hector Salamanca, AFSC Latino Youth Organizer, set up the meeting, and Sandra Sanchez, AFSC Iowa Immigrants Voice Program Director, facilitated a follow-up discussion.

Hector and others at Grassley town hall meeting in Boone

Iowa Dreamers and allies advocate for comprehensive immigration reform at a May town hall meeting in Boone, Iowa hosted by Senator Charles Grassley. From left: Antonia Rivera, Sandra Sanchez, Jan Flora, Hector Salamanca and Tess Boylan.

By Hector Salamanca, AFSC Iowa Latino Youth Organizer Intern

I went to a recent town hall meeting in Boone, Iowa for a reason, and that was to ask Senator Chuck Grassley what his views were on the current Immigration bill. I was completely unprepared for what awaited me at the town hall and whether or not it was going to be a tough crowd or a supportive crowd that cared about immigration reform.

DACA in JC

The Rally for Tuition Equity for DREAMers and the public hearing where Jersey City’s officials passed the resolution* unanimously was an incredible experience. The tuition equality bill, currently pending before the New Jersey legislature, would allow the so-called NJ DREAMers (a term used to describe undocumented students who were brought to the United States at a young age) equal access to higher education in the state through paying in-state tuition rates.

Hector and Tess

Hector with Tess, who also volunteers with AFSC in Iowa.

By Hector Salamanca

Hector is a college student, activist, and volunteer with the Iowa office of the American Friends Service Committee.

Yazmin

Getting her deferred action approval meant Yazmin, a longtime advocate for immigration policy reform who graduated from college last year, could get a job.

In June, when high school junior Ivania heard the news about a new immigration policy, she thought for a moment that this was it—that Congress had passed the DREAM Act. Maybe medical school was not too much of a stretch after all; maybe she would be able to qualify for grants and get a part-time job to pay for a psychology degree at the University of Iowa.