Yesterday on the House Triangle, Military DREAMers and congressmen came out to speak to the press about the ENLIST Act, which would allow DREAMers to enlist in the military. Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA) introduced the amendment but Republican Leadership has made it clear that they would block any attempts to include it in the defense authorization bill.
The DREAMers told their stories about how even after receiving deferred action through DACA, they are still not allowed to enlist in the military. Many spoke about their academic achievements in not only JROTC and ROTC but also in the classroom. Even though they are more than qualified to join the military, they are not able to because of the simple fact their parents brought them to this country without papers when they were children. The fact that they are not able to achieve their dreams because of it resonated throughout the speeches of all of the DREAMers. It was amazing to see the determination the DREAMers had to enlist even though the government had made it impossible for them. The character that the dreamers have built from JROTC and ROTC shows how much joining the military means to them and how hard they are willing to fight for their dreams.
View video of the military DREAMers we spoke with yesterday:
