Guest Blogger Series: Carlos Roa, Jr. “Congress: Now is the Time! Pass the DREAM Act!”

I’m a 23 year old undocumented college student from Caracas, Venezuela.  From January 1st to May 1st of this year, I was one of four undocumented youth to embark on a 1500-mile walk from Miami, FL to Washington D.C. known as the Trail of Dreams. I walked for nearly five months to our nation’s capital.  We walked for a DREAM; we walked to change the lives of hundreds of thousands of DREAMers who, like me, want nothing more than to contribute to this nation which has been our home. We walked and put our own futures at risk, because we could no longer stand idly by and see our lives pass us by.

We need you! This is an urgent message to call on all supporters of the DREAM Act to pressure their U.S. Senators to vote on passing the DREAM Act, due for vote next week.  On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV-D) announced that he will attach the DREAM Act (S. 729) as an Amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill.  If Congress does not act now, another generation of promising young graduates will continue to descend into the shadows, blocked from giving back fully to our great nation.   The message is clear: do not play partisan politics with our lives.  Congress should do what’s right for this nation to move forward by passing the DREAM Act this year.

Approximately 65,000 undocumented youth, who could benefit from the passage of the DREAM Act, graduate from U.S. high schools every year.  Many undocumented youth are brought to the United States before they can even remember much else, and some don’t even realize their undocumented status until they have to get a driver’s license, want to join the military, or apply to college. I myself was brought to this country by my parents at age two, and 23 years later, I remain without a clear pathway to legalize my status.

We are American in every sense of the word — except on paper.  It’s been nearly a decade since theDREAM Act was first introduced and it’s been a great loss for all of society to have young Americans, such as myself, find extreme difficultly to continue our studies after high school graduation.

It’s been over 20 years since I’ve lived in the U.S. as an undocumented immigrant.  Growing up, I saw my parents sacrifice everything to provide for us and ensure our futures.  My mother, the person I was closest to in my life, battled cancer for over ten years. Her will and desire to see her children succeed in life kept her alive for so long.  After the death of my mother, her strength and desire has not perished; it lives through her children.

That same will and determination is omnipresent with DREAMers across the nation.  The legalization of DREAMers, such as myself, would greatly contribute to society and improve our communities.  As young professionals we would open businesses, create jobs, join the military, pay taxes, and strengthen the economy, just like U.S. citizens.  Now is the time to make that possibility a reality.  This is your chance to make a difference and help us finally pas the DREAM Act!

We need calls to flood Senator’s office in support of the DREAM Act (S. 729) now!

Take action and call in support of the DREAM Act. Visit this link to locate your senators and get instructions for your call: http://act.presente.org/call/dream_calls

Senate Switch Board: 1-888-254-5087

Call the Senate switch board operator and ask to be connected to YOUR  Senator’s offices.

Your calls will make the difference in giving us the opportunity to contribute to the only nation we know as our home.

Carlos Roa was brought to the United States by his family when he was only 2-years old. After graduating high school in 2005, he wanted to pursue the military as a means of accessing a career in engineering but was unable to because of his status as an undocumented immigrant.  He now studies architecture at Miami Dade College.  His mother died after a 10-year battle with cancer in 2006. He has continued her legacy by fighting for the DREAM Act and immigration reform.  Earlier this year he was one of four students who walked 1500 miles to Washington D.C. as part of the Trail of Dreams.

He is also a organizer with Presente.org, a U.S.-based, nationwide organization dedicated to the political empowerment of Latinos via the internet and mobile messaging.