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Promise Kept:
Community celebrates historic victory for undocumented Youth
DETROIT, August 15, 2012: Today, three young immigrants were
joined by Congressman John Conyers and other community leaders
in front of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Office
in Detroit on the first day of applications for the Obama
Administration's DREAM Relief program. The new policy will allow
eligible young people to obtain protection from deportation for
two years and a work permit.
After years of organizing, the DREAM Relief program offers the
first glimpse of hope to the undocumented in decades. The
pro-immigrant movement cautiously hailed the new reform two
months ago, and urged the Obama Administration to keep their
word to implement the program by today's deadline, August 15th.
Today, with the reform fully in place, organizers congratulated
USCIS and the Administration on keeping an important promise.
“For years, I was frustrated. Despite my hard work, my good
grades, my leadership, and my deep roots in this community, my
dreams sometimes seemed out of reach,” said Adonis Flores,
a Wayne State University Business student who was his high
school’s valedictorian. “Now, there is some hope. I may be able
to work and study freely, and fulfill my whole potential. Now we
need to keep fighting so the whole community can have the same
chance.”
The United Auto Workers Local 600 in Dearborn will be the
site of a workshop for those seeking information on the new
reforms. Officials from the UAW were on hand as well as Lidia
Reyes, Executive Director of Latino Family Services
and Hassan Jaber, Executive Director of the Arab
Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS).
Leaders also committed to keep watch over the new process, and
fight for strong and fair implementation.
“We’re so glad that the Administration kept their promise, and
young people are now able to apply for DREAM Relief,” said
Lidia Reyes of Latino Family Services in Southwest
Detroit, “The community won this reform by getting active and
making our voices heard. We're going to stay active and ensure
that DREAM Relief is implemented properly, fairly, and that our
young people get the opportunities they deserve. This is a first
step towards justice, and we still need many more.”
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Congressman John Conyers at AIR news
conference
celebrating first day of new immigration reform
– photo by Nour Al Hoda Ballout
15-year-old Brenda Montvoy of Detroit,
who will apply for relief from asylum based on new immigration
reforms
In the back ground, l to r – Juan
Sancen another young immigrant engaging the process,
News conference MC – Daniel Morales
Congressman John Conyers
-photo by Mirna Haidar
Adonis Flores, Wayne
State University Business student,
applying for the new immigration status;
in the background are: Hassan Jaber –
Executive Director of ACCESS, and Congressman John Conyers.
-Photo by Mirna Haidar.
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