Undocumented Youth Respond to Decision on HB87 Risking Arrest at Georgia State Capitol

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Atlanta, Georgia– The New York State Youth Leadership Council urges Congress and the Obama Administration to take immediate action to provide relief to undocumented youth.

Today, Sen. Dick Durbin held the first-ever Senate hearing on the DREAM Act. Ola Kaso, an outstanding and hard-working undocumented high school graduate from Michigan, represented the thousands of undocumented youth who have grown up in the United States and call this country home. The DREAM Act was first introduced in 2001. It has been introduced in every Congressional session since then; last year the bill was close to enactment – after being approved in the House, it was only 5 votes short from being approved in the Senate. The DREAM Act was re-introduced in May 2011 and awaits its time in the legislative process.

However, while undocumented youth continue to fight for Congressional relief, many states have passed anti-immigrant laws. One of these states is Georgia, where its most recent anti-immigrant bill, HB87, empowers police officers to act as immigration agents, creating fear within the immigrant communities. In addition, in October of 2010, the Board of Regents made a decision barring undocumented youth from attending Georgia’s top 5 colleges and universities. These anti-immigrant measures dehumanize our communities and continue to instill fear in society.

Today at 2:00pm in an effort to raise awareness for the plight of undocumented people in their communities, six undocumented youth, including an undocumented New Yorker, Felipe de Jesus Baeza, will risk arrest and even deportation coming out at the Georgia State Capitol. The undocumented youth will be joined by allies in demanding a complete halt to HB87 and similar local policies which continue to create fear within the immigrant communities.

Felipe is an undocumented New York college graduate, who came from Mexico at the age of 7. He is taking part in the civil disobedience act in solidarity with the undocumented youth from Georgia. Felipe states, “I am tired of waiting, I am tired of living in the shadows of hate and ignorance, I am tired of people deciding and having the power over my future. I can no longer allow myself to be fooled and placated with smiles, promises and handshakes. I want actions, I want to be free!” [read Felipe's story here]

As undocumented youth, our futures and dreams can’t wait anymore. As Felipe states, “What affects undocumented youth in one state affects all undocumented youth in the country. I am here to let Georgia know that these anti-immigrant laws are inhuman but also un-American and we are not going to sit back and let this happen, we’re going to fight back because every human being has the right to an education!” Our youth in Georgia are tired of empty promises, we need to see action!

Who: Undocumented youth, Rev.  Tim MacDonald and local civil rights leaders

What:   Response to HB87 and coming out rally, students declare themselves “Undocumented and Unafraid” – Risking arrest and even deportation.

When/where:  Tuesday June 28^th, Inside the Georgia State Capitol at 1:45pm.

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The NYSYLC is a youth led organization that seeks to improve access to higher education and creating equal opportunity for immigrant youth and children of immigrants, regardless of immigration status through leadership development, organizing and advocacy.

As The Dream is Coming project, we are compelled by our frustration and the fierce urgency of our dreams to act as agents of our destinies and be the catalysts for a future in which we are empowered, mobilized, and living with the dignity we deserve.  We are a group of undocumented youth who have worked for years on a path to legalization. We are at a point in our movement where radical action has become necessary for ourselves and our communities.