 "Photo: Caitlin Battersby")
Debbie Laurens graduated from Lake Howell High School with a 4.0 GPA, AP and honors classes and enough scholarships to cover all her college costs, but a month before graduation she discovered she wouldn't be able to go.
"It's embarrassing," Laurens said. "I've been out of high school for three years and have nothing to show for it."
Laurens was 6 months old when her parents brought her to America from Venezuela. They were visiting on a travel visa but decided to not return to their country, illegally overstaying their visa, Laurens said.
Though her two younger sisters were born here and are U.S. citizens, Laurens is an undocumented immigrant, meaning she can't drive, work or pay taxes.
While some institutions may allow undocumented students to attend school, she lost her scholarships and can't continue her education. She lives with a friend's family in Winter Springs.
"The most important thing to me was my education," Laurens said. "It's the most important thing to all of us. And even though I couldn't work or drive, that really sucked too, but I didn't think they could take away the education."
Laurens is working with local organizations urging legislators to sponsor and support the DREAM Act in Congress. She helps table outside the UCF Student Union, raising student awareness.
The DREAM Act would permit high school graduates who immigrated to the U.S. before they were 16 years old to gain conditional residency contingent upon military service or attending college for two years. The idea is that children should not be punished for the transgressions of their parents, Laurens said.
"What are we supposed to do? We're young adults that could be a benefit to the economy, and we're just taking up space," Laurens said. "We can't go back to a country we don't know."
An estimated 65,000 undocumented students graduate from high schools nationally each year, according to the Urban Institute.
UCF's Student Government Association passed Resolution 42-11 showing the university's support of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act on Feb. 4. Line 25 reads: "The University of Central Florida would be enriched by welcoming deserving, talented, hard-working young immigrants and allowing these students to realize their educational dreams."
UCF students and other supporters gathered Friday near Lake Eola and walked to Sen. Bill Nelson's Orlando office to hand-deliver a copy of the SGA resolution.
Dante John Terminello, an economics major who has already received a marketing degree from UCF, is one of the students who delivered the resolution. He is part of the Orlando Farmworker Supporters, which helped start the Orlando DREAM Act Coalition. He, with others, helped to get the resolution passed at UCF.
"The resolution is more symbolic you know; it doesn't actually change anything at UCF," Terminello said.
Supporters are taking the resolution to legislators around the state and are able to say that the third largest undergraduate university in the nation supports the act, Terminello said.
More than a dozen people, including UCF students, local high schoolers, undocumented immigrants and other supporters from the area crowded into Nelson's office in two rotations presenting the resolution and lobbying their causes to his staff. Some groups presented information about comprehensive immigration reform, which includes the DREAM Act.
The organizations represented included the UCF Colombian Student Association, which sponsored the SGA resolution, Students Working for Equal Rights, the Orlando Farmworker Supporters, the Orlando DREAM Act Coalition, and the Youth and Young Adult Network of the National Farm Worker Ministry, known as YAYA.
Lisa Marshall, deputy director of constituency services, and Peggy Gustave, constituent advocate, accepted the folders from the demonstrators and said they'd pass them along to Washington.
"What you're doing is not in vain," Marshall said to the group.
Nelson is one of 33 senators co-sponsoring the DREAM Act, but the group traveled to his office to urge him to take a leadership role.
"We just need him to take a lead on it, to actually do something about it, which hasn't happened," said Carolina Agudelo, a UCF junior political science major, Colombian Student Association event coordinator and YAYA treasurer.
In a statement, Marshall said, "It remains unclear when the senate judiciary committee will take up the issue."
The DREAM Act was introduced in Congress in 2001, but failed by eight votes in 2007.
"If you grew up here in the U.S., you work hard, you should be able to go to school," Terminello said.
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16 comments
THEN ITS UP TO INDIVIDUAL STATES TO PROTECT VULNERABLE LEGAL RESIDENTS WITH IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT.On the outside they are all seen to work for the public eye, but under the skin they are either underfunded or some other mechanism used to undermine its use. Most politicians are payed-off by the massive business sector, to allow the free movement of discount labor. E-Verify was nearly crippled from the start by Sen.Harry Reid and Speaker Nancy Pelosi and nearly tabled before it seeing the light of day. Even though it slipped through, it is only funded for three years. Because of its powerful potential it needs to be a permanent program, that cannot be touched by the open border organizations. Every disreputable corporate concern is livid that legislators have allowed it to become very popular amongst honest business. Business owners who use illegal foreign labor have used every method to repudiate the use of E-Verify throughout America. There is hardly any consequences from illegal aliens thieving American jobs, or getting preferences over citizens in the Emergency rooms. They walk away after treatment, without any money changing hands. While hospital staff demand from us drivers licenses and Social Security cards. Soon a letter at the door will demand payment, with the addition uncompensated care for illegal aliens tacked-on. You will very shortly be hounded by unscrupulous debt collectors, money grabbing attorneys ready to place liens on your home. Today, you cannot even file for bankruptcy without consequences that doesn't relieve you of demanding hospitals. If that isn't enough money is being extorted from us that overrides federal law, giving the children of foreign nationals in state tuition in colleges--when our own native born citizen children must pay the full amount?Certain Governors, Mayors, judges and other elected officials have tried to blacklist E-Verify, as monetary favors for Wall Street and a whole volume of organizations such as the Catholic church, other religious groups, unions, ACLU, La Raza and open border extremists who profit from illegal immigration. American workers, citizens and legal residents must demand that E-Verify becomes permanent, fully funded and where no business remains untouched? There should be a timetable of ICE audits and lightening raids, that can even return after a month or two. Any patriotic American can call ICE and report unscrupulous companies using illegal labor. Its the duty of every law abiding citizen or resident. That anybody hiring illegal immigrants after E-Verify can detect fraudulent documentation as the computer program in the immediate future, should go to prison as they are aiding and abetting illegal labor stealing American jobs. SO E-VERIFY REJECTS YOUR JOB APPLICATION? GO TO THE SOCIAL SECURITY AGENCY--TO STRAIGHTEN THE APP OUT? A good Example of not statewide using E-Verify is the SANCTUARY STATE OF CALIFORNIA--THE STATE IS NOW BROKE.THE LAW SHOULD ALSO BE CHANGED MAKING ILLEGAL ENTRY INTO THE US A FELONY, instead of a slap on the wrist. Only American voters can stop these travesties of our immigration system. We don't need anymore cheap labor, as we have 15 million of our population jobless. We need a "points System" for highly skilled imported labor. We need checks and balances so immigration lawyers cannot cheat the system. We need the 1986 Immigration law enforced, with perhaps new amendments. Tell these corrupt lawmakers in Washington and your states--WHAT YOU WANT--NOT WHAT THEIR BUSINESS BENEFICIARIES WANT? The Washington toilet must be emptied, for our own survival. Call your Representative at 202-224-3121 and demand rigid immigration enforcement.In addition E-Verify will have the capability to check fraud of drivers licenses, vehicular registrations, home mortgages, welfare and health care. The day is coming when fraudulent documentation will be a thing of the past, with cross-referencing with E-Verification. Another fact is that Homeland Security is inquiring into using ITIN IRS records.The cost to the American people for supporting illegal immigrant families is unimaginable. Read the truth about corruption and the illegal immigration occupation of our country at NUMBERSUSA, JUDICIALWATCH, IMMIGRATIONBUZZ, RIGHTSIDENEWS & DIRECTORBLUE.No Copyright! Pass around. American Jobs for American Workers. One flag, one language.
The DREAM act is great in theory, but in practice, it would be detrimental to the people of this country. Also, no in state tuition for illegal aliens. They would benefit where U.S. citizens don't and it's not like they pay their fare share in taxes, now is it? I feel sorry for those kids, I really do, but let's do what's best for America and tell those kids to take those high priced educations back to their own countries and work for change there.
I've seen that before...looks LIKE A TROLL, lazy enough that can't come up with his own insults..man oh man...
The DREAM act focus on education and is far from immigration reform. It effect less than 5,000 graduating Florida High school Students a year. All who grew up here in America, just like you! It does not pay for anybody's education but pumps millions into our economy by students who are more than willing to pay for classes and supply. Obviously the immigration system is broken in America, this is not letting Hard working students fall thur the cracks.