Check out some of the actions groups that make up NIYA have taken part in.
March of 2010: Chicago youth from the Immigrant Youth Justice League make a call to action asking all undocumented youth to come out, to let everyone know that we are ‘Undocumented and Unafraid.” The action on March 10th resulted in a thousand plus march and rally at Chicago’s Federal Plaza.
The action was to give undocumented youth a voice and to show that we would no longer be living in the shadows. On that day, as undocumented youth, we claimed our voice and space, both symbolically and literally. It was a powerful event because it reinforced the fact that although we are undocumented, we have to be unafraid about our identity and our efforts to legalize our status in this country.
Make sure you listen to the testimonies of the DREAMers from that day.
April of 2010: Undocumented youth and allies from the New York State Youth Leadership Council march 250 miles from New York to Washington D.C., along the way they pick up almost a dozen co-sponsors for the DREAM Act. Here are the NY walkers as they meet up with DreamActivist Pennsylvania.
On May 1st, Obama decided to come Ann Arbor Michigan to run away from the walkers who were headed to D.C. In order to confront Obama, OneMichigan organized the “Obama’s Promise” march and rally, mid-way through Obama’s helicopter flew overhead!
In solidarity with those walking to D.C. 1Michigan staged a similar, much shorter, walk from Detroit to Ann Arbor.
May of 2010: As a part of the escalation actions to push the DREAM Act forward to a stand-alone vote, The Dream is Coming project was launched. “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.“
On May 17th, five undocumented youth staged a sit-in at the Tucson offices of Senator John McCain, three were arrested and turned over to ICE and placed into removal proceedings.
On May 20th Nine allies were arrested in LA blocking Wilshire Blvd, directly in front of Senator Feinstein’s offices.
In response to the arrests 1Michigan launched a week long hunger strike urging Senator Stabenow to step up and support the DREAM Act.
June of 2010: After a 10-day hunger strike NYSYLC youth are arrested at the offices of Senator Schumer.
June 2010: Members of the NC DREAM Team undertook a 13 day hunger strike for the DREAM Act. Camped out between the NC State Legislature and US Senator Hagan’s Raleigh office, Loida, Rosario, and Viridiana starved for their DREAMs and the DREAMs of millions of others across the country.
July of 2010: 21 undocumented youth were arrested in Washington D.C. asking for democratic senators to move the DREAM forward. Picture below is of 13 of the students in the Senate Hart lobby. The remaining 8 students were arrested in the offices of Senator Reid and Senator McCain.
April 5th 2011, members of One Michigan, DreamActivist Pennsylvania, North Carolina DREAM Team, the Immigrant Youth Justice League, and the Georgia Undocumented Youth Alliance participated in a civil disobedience action at Georgia State University protesting the ban on undocumented students from the top 5 Georgia universities.
June 28th 2011, five members of the Georgia Undocumented Youth Alliance and one member of the NYS Youth Leadership Council came out of the shadows at the Georgia State Capitol and were arrested for blocking the street outside the Capitol protesting HB 87 and unjust policies against undocumented students.
July 12th 2011, members of the San Gabriel Valley DREAM Team and the Inland Empire DREAM Team decided to come out of the shadows and declare themselves undocumented and unafraid. They protested against programs like Secure Communities and 287g that criminalize our communities.
August 24th 2011, members of the San Gabriel Valley DREAM Team and DreamActivist California protested in front of the ICE Detention Center in Los Angeles against Secure Communities and 287g. Five undocumented youth sat-in inside the ICE office demanding an end to these policies and were arrested.
September 7th 2011, six members of the North Carolina DREAM Team and a youth from Ohio protested against discriminatory policies against undocumented students going to college, to hold President Obama accountable for his one million deportations, and to demand that Democrats pick which side they fall on.
September 17th 2011, members of the Northwest Immigrant Youth Alliance organized a “Coming Out” rally in front of the Northwest ICE Detention Center. They came out of the shadows and declared themselves undocumented, unafraid, and unashamed.
-Checkout our work on END Campaigns and on YES Trainings
