Saturday, January 02, 2010

Youth trek from Miami to DC for immigrant rights - washingtonpost.com


Youth trek from Miami to DC for immigrant rights - washingtonpost.com: MIAMI -- While their fellow college students recovered from the night's revelry, four South Floridians celebrated the New Year with a more active - and activist - approach.

The group set out Friday to begin a 1,500 mile journey they are calling the 'Trail of Dreams,' from Miami's historic Freedom Tower to Washington, D.C. The goal is to raise support for legislation that would include a path to citizenship for eligible illegal immigrants.

The four, all immigrants themselves, plan to walk the entire distance, no matter the weather. They expect students and other supporters to join them along the way and plan to arrive in the capital May 1, which has become a day of immigrant rights rallies in recent years.

All are top students at local colleges and campus leaders. Some are now here legally, some are not. All say they are willing to take the risks that come with bringing attention to the plight of students who, like themselves, were brought to the U.S. as children and are now here illegally.