“You May Think I Am Crazy, But I Think It Is Crazier That I Haven’t Seen My Family for 15 Years”
Leaders currently in Mexico include Lizbeth Mateo of Los Angeles, CA, Marco Saavedra of New York, and Lulu Martinez of Chicago, IL. Both have been living in the United States since before the age of 16, making them eligible for the DREAM Act and deferred action for childhood arrivals.
"Last year they went after my uncle and he was deported, said Mateo. "What our family went through is what millions have gone through and it needs to stop. This administration needs to know we won't wait for congress to do the right thing."
NIYA activists have gone to great lengths to oppose detention and deportation. They have infiltrated detention centers and participated in acts of civil disobedience in order to challenge the President's immigration policy. They have promised to build a movement on the other side of the border, and plan to bring deported immigrant youth back home to the United States.
The fight to keep families together does not end after deportation. The President has 1.7 million broken promises to deal with. He's going to deal with them now.