In a first, White House officials meet documented ‘dreamers’

For the first time, White House officials met a representative group of documented ‘dreamers’, mostly Indian-Americans, giving a patient hearing to their concerns regarding ageing out and indicating that there may be positive moves so that they don’t have to leave the country where they have spent almost their entire lives.

The so-called documented dreamers, who are estimated to be about 250,000, grew up legally in the US but risk deportation when they turn 21. “We look forward to seeing positive policy change, both administrative and legislative, to end ageing out,” said Improve the Dream, a youthled grassroots organization that is fighting for the cause of the documented dreamers.

Early this week, a large representative group of Improve the Dream met Betsy Lawrence, Deputy Assistant to the President for Immigration, and Erika L. Moritsugu, Deputy Assistant to the President and Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander.

Though these children have been coming to Washington DC for the past few years, this is for the first time that senior White House officials have met them. “I really appreciated meeting the White House officials who took time out of their day to come and listen to our stories and were willing to help us,” said Sri Harini Kundu, who came to America when he was seven years old.

Over 250,000 children and young adults are living in the United States as dependents of long-term non-immigrant visa holders (including H-1B, L-1, E-1, and E-2 workers). These individuals grow up in the United States, attend American schools, and graduate from American universities.