BATTLE MOUNTAIN - Months after a group of six dedicated young people passed through Battle Mountain on their cross country journey to spread awareness of the DREAM Act, families are still talking about the mark these young people made.
"I feel a lot of respect for them," said Virginia Rubio, a St. John Bosco Church member. "They're different kids from different states. They just got together and wanted to do something good with their lives and help other people. We are still supporting them. I think this is a very brave idea from them and we thank them so much for that because they are doing this for all of the families. God bless them."
Rubio continued, "I admired them because all of them have good careers. I think they're really, really working hard. They are just fighting to do something for everybody. They just want a green light to do something good with their lives. They are excited for it and they have a lot of plans, dreams and goals."
On March 10, starting at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the group of enthusiastic immigrant rights activists began their 3,000 mile walk across the nation to promote the DREAM Act and immigration reform.
The group is walking in support of the Dream Act for the Campaign for an American Dream. They walk around 15 to 20 miles a day or more and take turns walking and driving.
The group's mission is "to walk across the nation from San Francisco to D.C., creating dialogue around the passage of the DREAM Act and immigration reform with the values of equality, unity, and diversity. We believe all people are equal, all those who are oppressed should be united, and our daily lives and the campaign itself highlight diversity."
"This campaign was prepared by six young adults," said Rubio. "They are representing every student in the country who is trying to be successful in their careers but cannot accomplish it because of their status in the United States."
They were stuck in Battle Mountain for two weeks because their RV broke down and were hosted the entire time by the Galindo family.
On April 17, members of St. John Bosco Church and community residents hosted a dinner for the Dream Walkers at the church hall.
Around 30 people attended. The food was donated by church members and members of the community, along with Midway Market and the Owl Club. Nisha Galindo organized the dinner, said Rubio.
They are walking to empower communities and create dialogue for the Dream Act, said one of the walkers, Alex Aldana. They are speaking with residents in various communities as well as with politicians.
"It's really intense," said Aldana.
The walkers are Aldana, Lucas da Silva, Jose Gonzalez, Nico Gonzalez, Raymi Gutierrez, Veronica Gomez and Jonatan Martinez. The ones who came through Battle Mountain were Aldana, Nico Gonzalez, Gutierrez, Gomez, Martinez and da Silva.
Jose Gonzalez and da Silva are no longer with the group. They returned home due to family emergencies. As of July 6, the walkers were in Hays, Kan. Aldana said their time in Battle Mountain was meaningful and they shared some important dialogue with residents.
"The support of the community was really strong," said Aldana. "Battle Mountain, overall, was very welcoming. The community was really united and open to dialogue and supportive of the cause."
They are being sponsored by the group Campaign for an American Dream and they hope to arrive in Washington, D.C., by Nov. 2 with renewed support for the passage of the DREAM Act.
On June 15, 2012, President Barack Obama announced that his administration would stop deporting young illegal immigrants who match certain criteria previously proposed under the DREAM Act.
Aldana said the order does not encompass enough people and a lot of people do not qualify. He said the wording is too vague and it is not clear who judges who goes and who stays.
According to www.everydaycitizen.com, which devotes a page to the Dream Walkers, the DREAM Act was first introduced in the Senate on Aug. 1, 2001, by Sen. Dick Durbin and Sen. Orrin Hatch and it would provide a means for undocumented children of illegal immigrants an opportunity to become citizens if they pass certain requirements.
Posted on Everyday Citizen is piece that Martinez wrote on why he is walking: "I will walk for all of the Dreamers who are in the same position as me. I will walk for people who have hope to earn a degree but are not given the opportunity to put their talents to use. I will walk for a change in our immigration system and a halt in the separation of families."
He continues, "I will walk for every person who feels they do not have a voice in their own country. I will walk for those who feel that their dreams are crumbled and useless due to a broken immigration system. I will walk for those who are raised in America and even without a legal status, they still stand proud to call themselves Americans. For a fellow American I will walk as far as it takes. I will keep walking and never settle for less than equality. I will put one foot in front of the other and not lay rest, because I walk for the American dream and the American dream is you."
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