Kyle Michael Huelsman's Speech from the DREAM Act Press Conference Monday, November 29th, 2010

Today, thousands of allies across the country came together to make their voices heard. In their presence resonates a call for change, and like them, I see in our faces a demand for justice. No longer shall we sit idly by while our friends, family, and community members are pushed to the margins of society. Right now, on these steps, we ask of our nation to move forward in the direction of respect and equality.

This morning in Boulder, a group of activist dropped a banner off an overpass that read: Dream act now. Together, undocumented and documented people stood in solidarity of a promise nearly a decade in the making. Hand in hand, we symbolized progress not just for the issue of immigrant rights, but also for that of human dignity. I stand here before you as a white, documented, university student that fights on the grounds of civil rights, because when one of us is in chains none of us are free. With my immense privilege comes a responsibility to speak with those people who are so often silenced. Right now, I can speak only to my opportunity.

Throughout high school, one message never left my side; hard work and perseverance leads to success. Like many others, this is the narrative holds true to our vision of America. Equal opportunity prefaces the freedom that we all hold so true to our hearts. It is the story upon which America began and the story that leads us forward today. In the year 2010, this vision falls on deaf ears as 65,000 high school seniors are denied a chance of a better future. The brilliant, vibrant youth that this nations so desperately needs in our university system, are pushed out of the College tract and. What was for me the American Dream is for many undocumented students the American Nightmare.