OneGoal statement on protecting Dreamers
Chicago, IL (Jan. 19, 2018) – As Congress comes together to pass a funding bill today, it provides us with an important opportunity to restore the rights and freedoms to Dreamers who have been so deeply hurt by this administration’s decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) protections. Last September, we sent you a note to share our position to stand with Dreamers and to provide resources and support while we looked to Congress to create a permanent fix. In the months since, we have waited for congressional action and protection but nothing has been resolved and frustration and fear continue to grow. In this challenging time for our nation — when it can be so easy to be cynical and pessimistic — we found ourselves turning to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his Letter from a Birmingham Jail.
Dr. King’s words and wisdom feel just as urgent and relevant in 2018 as they were 50 years ago. In his letter he wrote, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” Regardless of where we were born, the color of our skin or the language we speak, we are all dreamers and need to help protect our neighbors, colleagues and the greater Dreamer community.
So where does that leave us? More than ever, we have to take action.
To help do this, we’ve dedicated a page on our website to compiling resources and actions specific to the needs of DACA recipients. Dreamers, your very existence, perseverance and success disproves the worst stereotypes and instead represents the very essence of what makes America great. Dedicate time to take care of yourself, know your rights and continue pushing towards your college dreams. Your education will help you and your community continue to rise. Allies, call your representatives and stand for your friends and families who don’t yet have the same freedoms.
We dream of the day when Dreamers no longer have to live in fear and we wake up every day ready to do what it takes to make it happen. We hope you’ll join us in whichever way is best for you.
Standing with you in love and solidarity,
Jeff Nelson Kwame Griffith
CEO + Co- Founder President
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