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Yessica Martinez Letter to the President.

NYSYLC 2011 Scholarship Submission

Mr. President,

It is with great pain that I take the liberty of writing this letter, but I am afraid my situation has left me no

choice. It is true that I would much rather be writing a letter reaffirming my support and committing myself

to ensuring you reelection, but instead I find myself collecting on your promises. My name is Yessica

Martinez, I came to this country when I was 10 years old and today, I am on of the thousands of

undocumented students living a life of uncertainty in America. I know that you recognize my story because

you have heard it countless times and have used it during speeches where you have tried to rally support

for the DREAM Act. Before I continue with what I have to say, let me clarify that this is not a comment on

your personal values, but rather on your lack of leadership. I know that many of your personal beliefs

stand in line with what is right, but unfortunately, you have failed to commit yourself to many of them and

at times have actively gone against them.

Under your two-year administration, there have been 800,000 deportations. That is 800,000 lives thathave been broken by your election. While these stories are kept hidden in deportation centers, you have

stood on national TV and reaffirmed your support for the immigrant rights movement. You have even

claimed that your administration has ended the deportation of Dream Act eligible youth and refocused its

attention on deporting criminals, when in fact deportations have been carried out on an indiscriminate

basis. It is not hard to recognize lies Mr. President and your hypocrisy makes me question your integrity.

Yesterday, I met with two women that put their lives on hold in 2008 to collect votes on your behalf. One

of them moved to Pennsylvania for over a month to organize for your campaign; like thousands of others,

she believed in your administration has been carrying out behind our backs. Your worn-out rhetoric will

not stand against hard cold facts and unless you take action now, you will lose the presidency. That is

why, I am asking you to use the power we bestowed upon you to sign an executive order ending thedeportation of DREAMers. Dream Act eligible youth are the most vulnerable and deserving of your

administrations protection and our immigration policies should not be deserving of your administrations

protection and our immigrations policies should not be destroying their dreams.

The immigrant youth that live in this country have earned their rights through hard work and

perseverance. Despite the misguided hatred that is aimed at us, we have kept our head high knowing that

our love for this country gives us the right to remain. I have met countless students who in spite of all odds

are pursuing an education in hopes of giving back to the country that has taken them in. The doctors,

teachers, lawyers and entrepreneurs needed to revitalize our society and economy are read to take on the

challenge. Our movement has taken us out of the shadows and we have built a fight that almost securedthe passage of the DREAM Act. You are right Mr. President, hope takes courage. I have seen my friends

walk hundreds of miles to Washington to make a stand, I have seen them risk deportation through civil

disobedience, I have even seen them withstand hunger strikes, all to raise awareness about our struggle.

We have declared our presence as undocumented youth in public squares and parks risking deportation.

Women and men like Jose Vargas, a Pulitzer prize winning journalist, have come out as undocumented

and unafraid and put themselves under public scrutiny to give a face to the immigrant that is constantly

being dehumanized. Unlike you have yet to show the courage you promised, ours is constantly being

demonstrated.

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As of right now, there are countless cases of DREAM Act eligible youth in deportation proceedings. One

of those stories is that of Julio, an immigrant from El Salvador who while traveling in a Greyhound bus

was routinely questioned by ICE officials and ultimately placed in a detention center after failing to show

his papers. He is not a criminal; he is a hard working college student who only wants the best for himself

and America. You have the power to end his deportation and that of many others like him. Their stories

and broken dream are a burden that you, Mr. President, will have to carry. With power comes

responsibility and if you have the power to make changes, then we call on your courage to do so. Twenty-two senators recently wrote a letter to you asking you to sign an executive order to stop these

deportations. Their asking you to circumvent our political process in congress clearly shows that Americas

recognize the importance of this issue. Listen to the demands of these senators; they represent the

demands of DREAMers and American citizens all across this nation.

During Senior Awards night at my High School I received the Presidents award for excellence and along

with it a letter from you telling me to keep up the hard work. I need you to make the DREAM Act a priority

so that you praised will one day bear fruit. My graduation is in less than a week and I will begin college in

the fall, but as I throw my cap in the air I will be thinking of the many students across this country whose

dream will be halted by their graduation. The anti-immigrant sentiment in this country is palpable and we

recognize your fears on going against the tide, but as President you have the ability to change

perceptions by giving legitimacy to our cause. You have the power to bring relief to our communities by

ending these deportations and by pushing for the passage of the DREAM Act. You must prove your

supporters that the hope they voted for is alive and ready to materialize itself into real change.

Sincerely

Student Dreamer