Julio Valeriano explains how a group of young people are demanding change as they battle for comprehensive immigration reform.
21 year old Osmán Canales is one of about 10 people who has had enough of the government’s foot dragging on immigration reform. Last week Canales and fellow members of the New York State Youth Leadership Council began a hunger strike outside democratic Senator Charles Schumer’s Manhattan office. They’re demanding Schumer move the Dream Act forward as a stand-alone bill.
The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act or DREAM Act, would grant children of illegal immigrants who’ve graduated high school and finished two years of college, the opportunity to apply for citizenship, and get a higher education.
Read more about the campaign below:
Schumer, Chairman of the Senate Immigration subcommittee, co-sponsored the legislation to allow immigrant young people who were brought to the U.S. as kids, to apply for citizenship.
But the students say Schumer hasn’t done much to move the bill forward. He did mention the possibility of a congressional hearing on the Dream Act, but then dropped the ball. Schumer has refused to sit down with the students.
The strikers, most of them brought to the U.S. as kids, set up camp on Schumer’s doorstep begging him to push for passage of the Dream Act.
Through his staff, Schumer offered June 18 for a meeting, but the protesters set a deadline of today at Noon and ended the hunger strike after the deadline passed.
What do you think? Should the young people have continued their hunger strike and pushed for Schumer to introduce The Dream Act as a stand-alone bill?
Or should they just drop it?
Furthermore, should these young folks starve at Senator Schumer’s, or anybody’s doorstep, to get immigration reform?
Leave a comment and let us know what you think!
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