Introduction to the DREAM Team
As a few hundred people gathered in a Chicago park last month for a rally against aggressive and rampant immigration enforcement, a group of teenagers were busy selling maroon tote bags and hoodies emblazoned with “I support undocumented students.” The teens attend Solorio High School and are a part of a club called the DREAM Team, which has sold the hoodie for almost a decade. Typically, the proceeds go toward college scholarships for classmates who are shut out of federal financial aid because they lack legal status in the U.S.
The New Meaning of the Fundraising Efforts
But in the face of federal agents teargassing residents and detaining everyday workers, the statement of support has taken on a new defiant meaning. At the same time, members of the club are grappling with the harsh reality that some of their classmates’ families have been torn apart. Now the club is using their funds to help Solorio students with parents who’ve been detained or deported pay rent and other expenses. So far, they’ve raised more than $6,000. Eight students are in that situation, though not all of them need financial help, and some money is being saved in case more families need it as the school year goes on.
Solorio is in a Southwest Side neighborhood of bungalows not far from Midway Airport. Virtually all the students in the school are Latino, and more than a third are English language learners. Richard, a senior at Solorio and the co-president of the club, said the election of President Donald Trump prompted the club to shift its focus. “When Trump got elected, our priority shifted to actually helping our community and protecting our community,” he said.
Personal Stories and Struggles
The need is not just outside the group, it is within it. At the recent rally, DREAM Team member Lesli Valladares climbed on a makeshift stage. At an organizer’s direction, she held the portable mic close to her mouth so her thin voice would be heard above the crowd. The slight 17-year-old pulled at the sleeve of her oversized baby blue sweatshirt as she explained that her dad was selling his tamales, like he did every day, when he was taken into custody by federal immigration agents.
The Role of DREAM Teams
High schools and colleges across the country have had clubs or programs that specifically support immigrant students without legal status for more than a decade. They take their name from the DREAM Act, which would have given temporary protection from deportation to young adults who came to the U.S. as children. Congress never approved the DREAM Act, but President Barack Obama signed an executive order that offered similar protections.
Supporting Students
These clubs have been instrumental for students who might feel embarrassed or scared because of their immigration status. They send the message they are not alone. Every spring, for example, the Solorio DREAM Team puts on a “coming out of the shadows” event as part of a school assembly. Students who lack legal status give an “undocumented, unafraid,” speech, while those from mixed-status families talk about what the experience has meant for them.
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