DREAM Act Student Wins Deferment

Many of us may remember and look up to Marie Gonzalez from her testimony on behalf of thousands of DREAM Act students last year. Well, the good news is that according to The Examiner, she has been granted another deferment from deportation as of today for another year till she can finish her studies at Westminster College in Fulton. But this is her third extension and time is running out for students like Marie. We must get ready for another uphill battle to get DREAM before Congress early next year.

Marie has been in the United States since she was five years old. Her parents hail from Costa Rica, and in 2005, they were deported but Marie was allowed to stay. Senator Durbin, while speaking on behalf of Marie Gonzalez, stated that "Her goal is to be an American and to give to the only country she has ever known. Costa Rica is not her country; America is her country." 

This is an excerpt from her testimony: 

I can personally attest to how life in limbo is no way to live. Having been torn apart from my parents for almost two years and struggling to make it on my own, I know what it is like to face difficulty and how hard it is to fight for your dreams. No matter what, I will always consider the United States of America my home. I love this country. Only in America would a person like me have the opportunity to tell my story to people like you.

You can access the full text of Marie's heart-wrenching testimony here.