Dream 9 Released, Will Ask For Permanent Legal Status

Dream 9, the name for a group of activists who attempted to cross the border into the U.S. from Mexico to protest domestic immigration policy, were released Wednesday from Eloy Detention Center in Arizona.

The group were arrested July 22 in an attempt to raise awareness of the thousands who have been deported under President Barack Obama’s administration. Each were brought to the country illegally as children, with some not even realizing their status until they attempted to enroll in college.

They were tentatively approved for asylum earlier this week by Homeland Security.

“I am good, very excited. It’s a big surprise,” said Maria Peniche, one of the Dream 9.

DOH ruled that the group have a “credible fear” of returning to Mexico. An immigration judge will decide whether they get to stay permanently in the U.S., but that could take a while.

More than 30 members of Congress wrote a letter to President Obama asking him to allow the Dream 9 to stay in the U.S. permanently. “These courageous, undocumented young people shine a light on the painful family separation caused by our broken immigration system,” wrote Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif.

But critics say that the group have put the President in an impossible and unfair corner.

“It sent a message that is likely to be more of a complication for the people working on reform than the people who are opponents,” said immigration law expert David Martin.

Each member of the group will be required to give their case for why they should be allowed to stay in the country.

What do you think of the Dream 9? Should they be allowed to stay, or have they unintentionally disrupted the immigration issue in America?