The last four years have been nothing but stressful for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and undocumented citizens. When DACA was questioned to end in 2017, many college students were left with anxiety over their future in America. Thankfully, Dreamers Alliance: United as One (DAU), a student organization at IUPUI, helps ease these emotions as the road ahead for DACA is unclear.
IUPUI students established DAU in November 2016, and it formed due to the increasing need for support for DACA and undocumented students at IUPUI.
DAU stands by three main goals for the IUPUI and Indianapolis community: providing and directing undocumented students to academic, financial and legal resources; raising awareness among documented issues in Indiana; and creating a support system that uplifts a local and national undocumented community.
“We work on a resource packet that focuses on different topics such as health, COVID-19 relief, food, education, DACA and more,” DAU president Melissa Aceves said. “A lot of times there are resources for a regular population, but when it comes to undocumented individuals, it is harder to find those resources because a lot of times they ask for documentation, like an ID.”
There is a sense of hope for 2021 among members of DAU, as many of them spent a majority of last year fighting to get undocumented citizens drivers licenses. A few members were invited to speak at the statehouse with politicians and legislators to get House Bill 1083 passed. This law would allow Indiana residents without proof of identity in the U.S. to obtain a driving card.
“Unfortunately, last year [the bill] didn’t get passed but our members are still involved in helping that bill get passed this year,” Aceves said. “If it doesn’t get passed this year, we are going to continue to fight for individuals to get driver’s licenses.”
Lately, DAU’s biggest project has been the COVID-19 Support Relief Fund to help students, families and the rest of Indianapolis combat the financial toll of the pandemic. So far, they have raised $1000 and the fund continues to grow.
“When COVID-19 came up, we decided we needed to be the people to help our community members,” Aceves said. “This helps undocumented families from all over Indiana who are in need of medical expenses, utility bills and any other expenses we can help with. We are continuing to help those families that are in need because the government does not give stimulus checks to undocumented individuals.”
With eight members currently on the executive board, DAU finds work for everyone depending on their interests and talents to progress as an organization.
“There are always opportunities for people to get involved,” Aceves said. “We are all good at different things. Some of us are good at public speaking, and some of us are good at social media, creating flyers or writing stories. We can get you involved in many different things, even if it is just volunteering.”
Students who are interested in joining or helping out can check out DAU’s page on The Spot or message the group on Twitter and Instagram.