Bien Hecho: 6 Indiana DREAMers Arrested, 5 To Be Deported

On the day President Barack Obama made a speech about the importance of immigration reform, news of six DREAMers being arrested in Indiana comes to light. The students were protesting in the offices of Gov. Mitch Daniels, who was set to sign a pair of anti-immigrant laws in that state, now five are set to be deported. The Indy Channel reports:

The students, wearing their high school graduation gowns, wanted to meet with Daniels on Monday to discuss anti-illegal immigration measures House Bill 1402 and Senate Bill 590, which are both due to become law this week unless Daniels vetoes them.

The first would deny in-state tuition at state-supported universities for illegal immigrants. The other would revoke some tax credits for businesses that hire illegal immigrants.

The students to be deported:

• Ana Paola Ruiz-Toyar, 23, who was brought to the U.S. when she was 15 and will be a senior in the fall at Marian University.
• Omar Gama, 20, who was brought to the country when he was 11. He is a junior at Indiana University in Bloomington and is studying public affairs.
• Guadalupe Pimentel, 18, who arrived in Indianapolis from Mexico at age 7 and is a college freshman studying social work.
• Sayra Perez, who was born in Mexico and came to the U.S. at age 5. She is a student at IUPUI studying biological chemistry.
• Erick Gama, 20, who came to the U.S. when he was 11. She graduated high school with honors and is now an interior design student at Indiana University.

These students have “outed” themselves as DREAMers, or students who would benefit from the DREAM Act if passed and allow them to stay in the country, although they were not brought here legally when they were young. I’m sure they hoped that, by telling the world their stories and who they are, they hoped to make a bigger difference. We hope President Obama and Congress can do their best to find a solution to the conundrum of these students, and the countless others like them in the country.

Our weekly segment, “Bien Hecho,” highlights the good deeds and achievements of Latinos across the U.S. If you feel that someone you know is deserving of recognition, let us know at tips@newstaco.com.