Today, millions of people in the US live under the threat of deportation. They fear being separated from their families and communities, or being expelled to a country that—in cases like Ni de Aqui narrator Karla Estrada’s—had never really been home. Moreover, their rights and privileges in the US are often severely limited. As an eager and high achieving student, Karla was told by her high school counselor that, because she was undocumented, she should give up applying to college; she wouldn't be eligible for financial aid. Instead of giving up, Karla—and many other undocumented young people across the country—pushed for inclusion and a pathway to citizenship.

The DREAM Act

Until the 2000s, most undocumented immigrants avoided direct political action; it was too risky. But, when undocumented youth, who had been raised and educated in the US, began to apply for drivers’ licenses, work permits, and college educations, they were surprised to discover that their legal status denied them these opportunities.

They sought help from lawmakers and immigrant rights groups. In 2001 Senators Dick Durbin and Orrin Hatch responded, introducing the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, a.k.a. the DREAM Act, to Congress.   

The legislation would allow thousands of undocumented immigrants who entered the country illegally before they turned 16, and had since graduated high school—dubbed “Dreamers”-–to apply for conditional US residency, and be up for permanent residency after six years. Initially, it had bipartisan support. But 9/11 happened soon after the bill was introduced, and progressive immigration legislation—including the DREAM Act—was tabled. Multiple versions of the bill have been reintroduced in Congress since, but consistently fail to pass. 

After the initial failure of the DREAM Act, undocumented youth began direct-action campaigns to push the bill through Congress. They organized marches, demonstrations, sit-ins in elected officials’ offices, fasting campaigns, and walkouts to rally support for their cause. Actions occurred all over the country, led by undocumented youth who were putting their entire lives on the line—borrowing from LGBTQ+ organizing, they “came out of the shadows,” and many revealed their undocumented status publicly as a part of these campaigns.

This new generation of activists emphasized their “Americanness” as part of their strategy. They wore high school graduation robes to marches, and portrayed themselves as high-achieving, English-speaking students raised on the American Dream. While anti-immigration sentiment still ran high in the decade post-9/11, public opinion swung in favor of the Dreamers.

Even still, after nine years of organizing for a path to citizenship, Congress failed to pass the DREAM Act by five votes. Suddenly, all the youth and students who had stepped forward were at an even greater risk of deportation.