Sam Dunaway | News Editor

Hundreds of Western students, staff and Monmouth community members gathered on Oct. 15 to take part in the March to Support Our DREAMers.

The march was organized in response to the Trump administration’s decision on Sept. 5 to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the program that protects thousands of undocumented individuals that entered the United States as children. These individuals, referred to as DREAMers, could become eligible for deportation as a result of this repeal.

The purpose of the march was to raise awareness of the movement to end DACA and pressure Congress to pass a version of the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act, according to the National Immigration Law Center, would provide a path to citizenship for DACA recipients.

Every part of the community came together to plan the event. Julia Wright, a senior at Central High School, was inspired to organize this march. With the help of various other Central High students, members of the Unidos Club, Multicultural Student Union and Abby’s House, Wright’s vision became a reality.

Rep. Paul Evans began the afternoon with a speech showing support for this cause. The march itself was three miles long and stretched from McArthur Stadium to Riverview Park in Independence. There, representatives from the Oregon DACA Coalition, the Associated Students of Western Oregon University and Causa — Oregon’s immigrant rights organization — gave supportive and encouraging words.

The Polk Community for Human Equality helped marchers contact state representatives, Causa provided petitions for immigration rights and marchers were able to sign a letter written by Western students to ask the Monmouth city council for support.

“The march represents hope. It represents unity. It shows that even in the darkest of times, people rise up and come together for the greater good,” explained Andres Hernandez, Vice President of the Unidos Club at Western. “The march is a reminder to many hiding in the shadows that someone will continue to fight for them.”

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu