The Trail of Dreams | Activist History

In 2010, four immigrant student leaders in the US (Carlos Roa, Felipe Matos, Juan Rodriguez, and Gaby Pacheco) embarked on a 1,500 mile (2,414 km) walk from Miami, Florida to Washington D.C. Their goal was to counteract anti-immigrant narratives in the media and push for the passage of the DREAM Act, a law that would give a pathway to citizenship for undocumented students brought to the US as minors. They had four demands:

• Pressure then-President Obama, through an executive action, to stop the detentions and deportations of students for two years and halt removal proceedings for people with immediate family members who are US citizens.
• Pass the DREAM Act (“Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors”) to allow access to higher education.
• Protect immigrant workers’ rights
• Push for the implementation of just and humane immigration reform.