David Ramirez was brought to the United States when he was a year old. At age 21, he will be graduating this semester from Dominican University in Illinois. Tired of seeing undocumented youth under attack, he realized he needed to do something. As co-founder of the Immigrant Youth Justice League, he has been a leader among undocumented youth across Illinois. However, his work does not stop there.

With Georgia’s banning of undocumented students from its top five universities, David finds himself willing to take action and risk deportation because, in his words, “An attack on undocumented youth in Georgia is an attack on everyone working for immigrant rights.”

Full story below.

 

My name is David. I am from Chicago, but I was born in Mexico. I came here when I was a year old. I am now 21, and have spent the last decade realizing, struggling through and coming to terms with being undocumented. I am out of status, I am a DREAMer, and after this May I will be a college graduate.

I am attending Dominican University, a small Catholic school in Illinois, and I know that a big reason as to why I was able to find a way into college is because I live in a state that is relatively accepting of immigrants.

But even so, I remember how difficult it was for me to get into school, and today where the climate towards immigrants is as volatile as it is, I’m grateful for being able to finish my degree.

Undocumented youth are under attack everywhere in the U.S., and it’s most apparent in Georgia where five of the top schools have banned admission to undocumented youth.  These youth are banned for no other reason than their lack of an immigration status.

Knowing about this has given me a choice. I can ignore the ban and stay on this path of relative security, or I can join others to confront it. I can let myself acknowledge the position I’m in and realize that I can’t sit in Chicago, Illinois and passively accept how others, less privileged than me, are treated in Atlanta, Georgia. The outcome of bans will set a precedent for how undocumented youth are treated in other states.

An attack on undocumented youth in Georgia is an attack on everyone working for immigrant rights.

I’m asking every person of good will, every person who is supportive of immigrant youth to do more than just stand with us. I was able to go to school because Illinois stands with immigrant youth, but I am still undocumented because Illinois has not begun to fight for the people it claims to support. If you claim to stand with us, fight with us. Help us defend our dignity and worth as members of American society.

I’ve decided whose side I am on and I’ve chosen to act. I ask you now to do the same.