On Saturday, advocates braved the wind and cold to gather in Cleveland, Ohio to tell Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) to support the Dream Act.
Advocates have been asking for a meeting between Sen. Portman and Dreamers, which Portman has not granted yet. An Ohio Dreamer did meet with one of Portman’s staff in Washington, DC, who said that Portman was not in favor of the Dream Act because it contains a path to citizenship and would lead to citizenship for the families of Dreamers. Upon further questioning, however, Portman’s Columbus office said that his official position remained the same as his September statement, which said that he supports “bipartisan efforts to find a permanent solution that will allow those in the DACA program to stay here and continue to contribute to our society.”
As Deb Kline, the Director of Cleveland Jobs With Justice and a participant in Saturday’s event, said in a statement:
As the deadline for Congress draws nearer, Senator Rob Portman and his colleagues in the Senate and House need to take action immediate action to protect the Dreamers by passing a clean Dream Act.
We will continue our actions until he either supports the Dream Act or says he supports one of the other pieces of legislation currently in the Senate.
On Saturday, advocates in Ohio braved the rain and cold to tell @senrobportman to support #DreamActNOW pic.twitter.com/trr1E54cCc
— America’s Voice (@AmericasVoice) November 20, 2017
