Earlier this year, SEIU helped lead the organizing efforts on behalf of Alonso Chehade, a Dream Act student who was facing deportation. Alonso received a deferral from the Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) in large part due to the pressure that activists like you put on DHS and ICE.

This week, Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington State spoke with DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano, saying:

"I spoke to ICE Assistant Secretary John Mortan about the case, and I am thankful that the government temporarily deferred action on the case until the end of the year - however, I would like to renew my call for you to use your discretion to continue to defer action until the end of the 111th Congress so we can pass the DREAM Act and give Alonso and young people like him a chance to remain in the U.S. to give back to the American communities in which they were raised."

Sen. Cantwell's press release goes on to elaborate that "i[]n the interim, Sen. Cantwell will be pressing Congress to take action on DREAM Act legislation that could help Chehade and others like him who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children, became high academic achievers, but never had a legal pathway to citizenship."

We'd like to thank Sen. Cantwell for her leadership on behalf of Alonso and the DREAM Act.

For an update on Alonso, you can check out his latest video below: