Contact: Elliott Magers, 317-997-3558, [email protected]

Who: Voces de la Frontera, Youth Empowered in the Struggle, Fair Immigration Reform Movement, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights (ICIRR), Michigan United, community supporters

What: Rally and canvass to urge Paul Ryan to pass the clean Dream Act

When: Saturday, February 3rd, 11am

Where: US Speaker of the House Paul Ryan’s office, 216 S 6th St, Racine, WI 53403

RACINE, WISCONSIN – On Saturday, February 3rd, immigrant youth and allies from US Speaker of the House Paul Ryan’s district and from across the Midwest will gather in Racine, Wisconsin, to rally for the Dream Act and canvass Ryan’s constituents. Members of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights (ICIRR) and Michigan United will participate. The group will hold an 11am rally at Speaker Ryan’s office and then canvass and phone bank Ryan voters urging them to call Ryan’s office and place yard signs in support of the Dream Act.

“Paul Ryan cannot keep ignoring us,” said Luís Tapia, a Dreamer and high school junior from Racine. “My dream is to go to college, become a chef, and open my own restaurant. Without the Dream Act and a path to citizenship, I will not be able to fulfill my dreams. But we need the Dream Act even more urgently. Young people like me are losing status, if they even had status to begin with. We are being sent back to places we have never seen before. We will not stop fighting until Paul Ryan passes the clean Dream Act.”

“I think it’s important to support my Latino friends because they are like family to me,” said Chazmire Carothers, 16, a high school sophomore and future voter from Racine. “The Dream Act is necessary because I can’t imagine being told to leave the country I was raised in. I value my family and I don’t want my friends to be torn from their families. I want to see black and brown people come together because we are more powerful when we are together.”

“Unfortunately our DACA is reaching its expiration date,” said Kevin Vazquez, a DACA recipient and the Immigration Advocate Coordinator of Michigan United. “This is an urgent, pressing matter, and we’re coming all the way from Michigan to make sure that Paul Ryan stands on the right side of history.”

“Certain politicians are using DACA to further their own interests as a negotiation tactic to change the immigration system,” said Jaime Leal, a DACA recipient and member of the Southwest Organizing Project and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. “I’m coming out on Saturday to raise my voice for the Dream Act, to speak for myself. I disagree with how DACA is being used, and I don’t want that to continue. It’s important for me to be at Paul Ryan’s office Saturday with others, to advocate for myself and my community and to put a face to the DACA issue. I’m standing up for the idea that no human being is illegal. We are all human and we all deserve the same rights.”

ICIRR is a coalition of over 79 community organizations dedicated to promoting the rights of immigrants and refugees to full and equal participation in the civic, cultural, social, and political life of our diverse society. Michigan United is a coalition of over 45 community organizations fighting for the dignity and potential of every person. Voces, ICIRR, and Michigan United are members of the Fair Immigration Reform Movement, a national coalition of grassroots organizations fighting for immigrant rights.

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