Dreamers in Wisconsin with a clear message for Obama

In Rhode Island, the three candidates for District 10 all agree: Rhode Island must support in-state tuition for undocumented students. Good to see that the local Democratic, Independent, and Republican candidates all support access to higher education for all.

In San Francisco, a legislative battle continues among Democrats over specifics in the city’s sanctuary policy. Supervisor David Campos, an honorary dreamer himself, is calling out Mayor Gavin Newsom for allowing undocumented students to be deported if they are charged with a felony, regardless of whether they are convicted or not. The Board of Supervisors is likely to overturn Newsom’s veto.

Campos disagrees with Newsom’s stance on the issue.

“There is a public safety need to report people who engage in criminal conduct,” said Campos, “but at the same time recognize that there is the very basic principle that in this country you are innocent until proven guilty.”

Our very own Jose Luis Marantes, board member of United We Dream, debated Ira Mehlman from FAIR (who once talked about my momma) at the University of Florida Law School campus. Read about it from the Gainesville Sun.

The courageous kids from Wisconsin’s Voces de la Frontera made themselves noticed at the Obama rally in Madison this week. A reporter’s personal story highlighted them:

A large group of students were gathered on one corner behind a banner that said, “Support the Dream Act.” Another sign from this group proclaimed, “We Want to Go to College, Too.” I asked one of the young people about the Dream Act. She rose to the challenge admirably, explaining that it was a proposed law to give residency to undocumented students who came to the U.S. before they were 16 and have been here at least five years.

And since we are in Wisconsin, congratulations to everyone in the Badger State for getting Senator Herb Kohl to sign-on as a co-sponsor of the DREAM Act. This puts us at 32 members of the Senate supporting the Act. Also, we have three new co-sponsors in the House: Joe Sestak (PA-7), Carolyn Kilpatrick (MI-13), and Steve Cohen (TN-9). Good work Dreamers!