Washington, D.C.— Yesterday, over 200 immigrant youth and allies from across the country gathered for a vigil on a cold winter night in Washington, D.C. to kick off a week of action for citizenship. United We Dream members were joined by members of LUCHA, CASA, Make The Road Nevada, and Mi Familia Vota and others. The night started with a remembrance of the people who died in ICE custody this past year. It progressed to group chants and shared stories as the crowd prepared to leave no stone unturned on a real solution before the end of the year.
Click here for additional images and videos from the week of action in D.C. All attributed to United We Dream.
Today, immigrant youth and allies spent the whole day on Capitol Hill doing lobby visits with 20 Democrats, Republicans, and Independents to hit home the urgency of the moment for lawmakers.
Monserrart Montalvo Navarrete, a DACA recipient and member of United We Dream from Houston, Texas who spoke at the vigil last night, said:
“I was approved for DACA shortly after one of the hardest moments of my life: my dad’s deportation. After I was approved it meant I would be able to help get a job to help my single mom. It meant I could afford to finish college. Now, over a decade later, with DACA at risk of being taken away, I came to D.C. all the way from Texas to make my voice heard. To be honest, it feels a bit scary to think about sharing my story. At times I have felt alone because I didn’t really grow up with a lot of other folks who were so unapologetic about being undocumented and unafraid. I came to D.C. because I have a voice and I want to use it. My voice is deserving of equal rights and representation. I came here to be unapologetic about demanding that Congress pass citizenship for undocumented people like me this year!”
