WASHINGTON – Just days after arriving in the Washington, D.C., area, the “Dreamwalkers” found themselves exhausted one early May evening after a series of public events and news media interviews that publicized their cross-country odyssey for immigration reform. For the Dreamwalkers, four undocumented college students—Carlos Roa, Gaby Pacheco, Felipe Matos, and Juan Rodriguez—the end of a 1,500-mile trek north to Washington from Miami was just the beginning, a chance to reflect and ask what’s next.
“Arizona,” said 22-year-old Roa allowing only a hint of trepidation in his voice. With only the support of people who joined their cause along the journey, the “Dreamwalkers,” as they are called, are planning to make their way to the state that recently passed one of the nation’s toughest immigration measures.
“The trail is not over. We still have more to go,” Pacheco said to a nationwide audience via a live video stream at George Washington University last week. “We don’t know what’s going to happen but that is why we need you guys to stand up,” calling it the “civil rights issue of the 21st century.”
Pacheco is hoping to summon what scholars have dubbed “the sleeping giant”—the millions of American Latinos who can use their vote to demote and promote.
In the 2008 presidential election, Hispanics helped color red states blue for President Obama by voting 2-to-1 for the Democratic candidate, according to reports by the Pew Hispanic center.
Young Latinos have become increasingly engaged, having seen their friends, families and communities affected by immigration laws and enforcement measures. Nearly 60 percent of Hispanics are worried someone they know will be deported and overwhelmingly believe local police should not be involved in identifying undocumented immigrants.
“All of us came onto the trail of dreams because of the desperate situation our lives were in and the devastation we saw in the lives of so many people we care about,” said Rodriguez, who acquired his residency recently after applying for political asylum. “We wanted to put a face on the issues of immigration reform.”
