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The Dangers<br />
of Dreaming<br />
Story by Samantha Warner<br />
Design by Devon Powers, Buzz Editor<br />
DACA’s March 5th “expiration date” has come and<br />
gone and the future is still uncertain, but the Berry<br />
community continues to provide safety and support<br />
to the DREAMers within the student body.<br />
“Berry is a place where we recognize the value and<br />
worth of every student,” said Andrew Bressette, Berry’s<br />
Vice President of Enrollment.<br />
Bressette said that Berry does not label their students<br />
by immigration status or any other marker, and that every<br />
student is a part of the Berry family regardless of their<br />
personal struggles.<br />
“They were admitted to Berry because<br />
we saw something of value in them, and<br />
that hasn’t changed,” Bressette said.<br />
He encourages students who feel worried or insecure<br />
about their future to seek out help from their professors,<br />
councilors, or the Dean of Students. Berry has also<br />
provided other resources for students, including advice on<br />
immigration law.<br />
“This school has shown that they will stand in solidarity<br />
with DACA students, and that’s amazing,” said Suleima<br />
Millan-Salinas, president of Orgullo.<br />
Millan-Salinas said that she appreciates the advocacy<br />
of student organizations like Young Democrats, who<br />
have campaigned for social advocacy on the issue, and<br />
school events like Solidarity week that celebrate diversity<br />
on campus. An undocumented Berry student formerly<br />
protected by DACA said that they also appreciated the<br />
efforts that have been made, and that the reactions to the<br />
issue within the Berry community have helped them feel<br />
accepted and reassured.<br />
Orgullo, Berry’s Hispanic pride club, has also<br />
made efforts to raise awareness with a heavy focus on<br />
immigration this semester. The club has hosted events,<br />
like the “Maze Runner: An Immigrant’s Experience”<br />
panel and a showing of the movie Bajo la Misma Luna,<br />
which focus on immigration issues and attempt to keep<br />
the conversation alive.<br />
It’s a difficult issue -- the school must balance this<br />
assistance with subtlety in order to protect the identity<br />
and privacy of students, says Bressette.<br />
Privacy was important for undocumented immigrants<br />
before, but with President Trump’s decision to end<br />
DACA, the need for it has greatly increased. Students<br />
who were able to feel safe under DACA now live in<br />
fear of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)<br />
investigations and possible deportation.<br />
“When he announced he was taking away DACA, it<br />
took away our security,” said Katie, a Berry student who<br />
was previously protected by the legislation.<br />
Katie said the change in policy by the government<br />
created a climate of fear. The future is uncertain. The<br />
Supreme Court refused to hear a case about DACA, and<br />
the threat of detainment and deportation is a terrifying<br />
reality for Katie and other young people in her position.<br />
There are new laws in place such as the 287(g) program,<br />
which allows local and state law enforcement to enter into<br />
a partnership with ICE, letting them perform the role of<br />
Above and left: A group of Berry students, teachers and affiliates went to the Rome Federal Building to express our support of DACA<br />
federal immigration officers. These policies breed distrust<br />
of law enforcement in immigrant communities and put<br />
people’s safety at risk because they don’t feel comfortable<br />
calling the police for help -- a privilege that many people<br />
take for granted.<br />
“<br />
This school has<br />
shown that they will<br />
stand in solidarity<br />
with DACA students,<br />
and that’s amazing.<br />
- Suleima Millan-Salinas<br />
”<br />
“I don’t blame people for not caring about it,” Katie said.<br />
Katie said that she knows people often don’t realize how<br />
serious an issue is when it doesn’t affect them directly.<br />
She said that one of the main goals of organizations like<br />
Orgullo is to humanize the DACA debate. They hope to<br />
help students realize that this is a serious issue that affects<br />
real people, many of whom are friends, classmates, and<br />
coworkers.<br />
Millan-Salinas also commented on the decreased focus<br />
on DACA on campus. She believes that people are losing<br />
interest because the issue does not affect a large percentage<br />
of Berry students – but, she pointed out, it does have a huge<br />
effect on a handful of students.<br />
“It almost felt like a quick fad,” she said. “There was so<br />
much movement going around at first, but it feels like now<br />
the news has blown over and people have moved on. But the<br />
struggle is still there.”<br />
Katie said that the most important thing people can<br />
do is get involved by putting pressure on state and local<br />
politicians to act, educating themselves and others on<br />
immigration issues, and making sure that friends who are<br />
affected know that they are supported. Millan-Salinas made<br />
similar suggestions and added that she urges students<br />
to stay informed on the issue and to raise awareness by<br />
educating their family and friends.<br />
Editor’s Note: The name “Katie” is a pseudonym used to<br />
protect the identity of a DREAMer.<br />
28 Buzz<br />
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