Thread: CA-Students march to support illegal immigrant peers

Students march to support illegal immigrant peers

Wednesday, May 20, 2009
BY CINDY CARCAMO
The Orange County Register

About 50 students rallied at Santiago Canyon College today support the DREAM Act.

ORANGE – Emboldened by what they believe is growing support in Washington, a group of about 50 students from local universities and colleges marched and at times ran through the halls of Santiago Canyon College today to support their peers who are in the country illegally.

Students -- some wearing caps and gowns -- from Cal State Fullerton and Santa Ana and Santiago Canyon colleges kicked off what they said was a string of rallies in support of the DREAM Act, which would allow undocumented students to apply for legal permanent resident status, protect them from deportation and make them eligible for student loans and federal work study programs.

Sarah K. Rimack, vice president of the Santiago Canyon College Associated Student Government's Programming Board, who wore a yellow cap and gown, spoke into a microphone to students during the middle of the march.

"The DREAM Act would allow these students to give back to America by becoming part of the Social Security system, by paying federal and state income tax and by using their ability and education to be productive members of society," she said.

The proposed federal legislation -- introduced by Senators Richard Durbin of Illinois and Richard Lugar of Indiana and Reps. Howard Berman of California and Lincoln Diaz-Balart of Florida -- has been around since 2000 but has faced opposition and defeat in the past.

Rimack, a U.S. citizen who has student friends without legal status, said she's encouraged by President Barack Obama's support of the Act and growing support among legislators in Congress.

However, opponents of the proposed law say it would reward illegal behavior.

"The DREAM Act… discriminates against law-abiding American citizen and legal resident students and is yet another taxpayer-funded reward to illegal aliens for violating our immigration laws," California Coalition for Immigration Reform founder Barbara Coe said in a written statement. "Why should law-abiding American taxpayers be forced to sacrifice the education of their own children in order to fund the education of lawbreakers?"

Coe, who heads the Huntington Beach-based anti-illegal immigration organization, said her coalition and other like-minded groups are working to defeat the act.

Osvaldo Vences, a 20-year-old Santa Ana College student who followed the beat of about three drummers at today's rally, said he think it's unfair that he can't achieve his educational and career goals because of his illegal status. He said he was brought to the United States when he was 2.

He's in the process of applying for residency, he said, and hopes to get his master's degree in criminal justice but is unsure if he'll be able to land a job once he graduates because of his legal status.

"All we want to do is contribute to society and succeed in life and get an education," Vences said.

For now Vences is able to attend college through AB540, a California law that allows undocumented students to pay in-state tuition rather than the higher fee charged to out-of-state residents.

However, some students find themselves without jobs after college due to their legal status.

In addition, because of their legal status, they are not immune from deportation.

That's why Vences and the other marchers said they are pushing for the DREAM Act, to let illegal-immigrant students who finish at least two years of college or military service apply for legal status.

Students would need to have lived here at least five years and have arrived here before they were 16.

The next rally in support of the act is scheduled in Los Angeles some time soon, proponents said.

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Osvaldo Vences, a 20-year-old Santa Ana College student who followed the beat of about three drummers at today's rally, said he think it's unfair that he can't achieve his educational and career goals because of his illegal status. He said he was brought to the United States when he was 2.

Osvaldo, If you want college education then finance it yourself or go where you are legal.

just keep on marching Due South for a couple hundred miles.. when you see the fence you are close to home

The "Dream Act" would be to deport the ILLEGALS and their Anchors back to their HOME countries!

No, it is not the kid's fault they are here illegally, but it is not the fault of this country either, and we do not owe them a thing. We have already given them free public education, probably with free breakfast and lunch, as well as every other social service his family has gotten. Taxpayers have funded everything, and it is time we say enough is enough.