DREAM deferred: An immigration policy protestor from Ann Arbor faces possible deportation

[marmar]

from the Detroit Metro Times:



DREAM deferred
An immigration policy protestor from Ann Arbor faces possible deportation

By Robert Guttersohn


Mohammad Abdollahi knew he could be sacrificing his future in America — and maybe even his life — when he participated in a protest at the office of Sen. John McCain last week.

The 24-year-old former student — known as Mo to his friends — has been living in Ann Arbor since the age of 3, when his family came to this country from Iran. But because his parents never obtained legal residency here, Abdollahi risked attracting the attention of immigration officials when he and four others staged a sit-in at the Tucson, Ariz. office of McCain, an Arizona Republican.

They were there to help gain support for passage of the DREAM Act, a bill that's been languishing in Congress since it was introduced in 2001. An acronym for Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors, the DREAM Act's intent is to help the foreign-born children of illegal immigrants more easily gain access to American colleges and to provide a path to citizenship for those who obtain advanced degrees or join the military.

McCain was chosen as a target for the protest because he failed to vote on the legislation after originally signing on as one of its sponsors in 2007. ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.metrotimes.com/news/story.asp?id=15082

[pampango]

1. Progressive Caucus: Support the DREAM Act ...

• Support the DREAM Act or legislation that would restores states’ rights to offer in-state tuition to non-citizen students residing in their state and that would provide a path to citizenship for hardworking non-citizen youth who want to contribute fully to our society.

http://cpc.grijalva.house.gov/index.cfm?ContentID=205&ParentID=0&SectionID=93&SectionTree=93&lnk=b&ItemID=203

[sinkingfeeling]

2. We need a path to citizenship for these kids.