“Dreamers united will never be defeated,” echoed around UF’s campus as students marched in support of those who benefit from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Onlookers stopped in their tracks to catch a glimpse of the march, which went from the Plaza of the Americas to the Reitz Union early Thursday afternoon.
Robert Lemus, the president of the Hispanic Student Association, said he helped organize the rally as a support system for those affected by President Donald Trump’s decision to revoke DACA, a program that gives undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children legal protection.
“The amount of people out there that came out to support and chant for undocumented students really gave me a warm feeling, because it shows that compassion and understanding still exist,” Lemus said.
UF Chispas and Students Taking Action Against Racism also co-organized the rally.
“This is bringing everyone together so that we could show support to the students who might not even come out to this event because they feel that they’re going to be targeted,” Lemus said.
All eyes were on Giancarlo Tejeda, a 20-year-old undocumented student, as he stood in front of the crowd to read a poem.
At 3 years old, Tejeda and his family came to the U.S. from Colombia on a visa and ended up overstaying.
Tejeda said DACA is part of the reason why he could come to UF. He felt it was his obligation to support UF’s other DACA students.
“I have to speak out for those who don’t have a voice, this population that feels that they have to resort themselves to living in shadows; in fear of prosecution,” the UF biomedical engineering junior said.
As the DACA supporters marched together, two protesters stood to the sides and shouted, “It’s not personal, it’s policy,” and, “Build the wall,” throughout the rally.
Kevin Lemos, a 20-year-old UF computer science sophomore, said he is the son of two immigrant parents who both came to the U.S. and gained their citizenship through legal means.
His mother is from Brazil, and his father is from Peru.
Lemos, who was one of the counter-protesters, spoke with students who approached him. He said the U.S. is the greatest country in the world because of liberty and security, and undocumented immigration threatens security.
“People who violate the law in immigration not only violate the security of the country, they’re also putting an unnecessary burden on the citizens of the country,” Lemos said.
Tejeda said he was infuriated when he first saw the counter-protesters.
“I realized later that it was good that they were there because the poem that I presented later on was addressed to them, to that population of people,” he said.
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Protesters chant, “Dreamers united will never be defeated,” on their way to the Reitz Union to stand in solidarity to show support for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program students.
Counter-protesters Kevin Lemos, a 20-year-old UF computer science sophomore, and Philip Smith, a 19-year-old UF exploratory engineering sophomore, hold two signs that read, "Build the Wall" and "Now Boarding I.C.E. Airlines" respectively. "Our (border) security should be our top priority," Smith said.
Bailey Triggs, an 18-year-old UF political science freshman; Alex Zawadzki, a 19-year-old UF political science sophomore; and Marian Vargas, a 20-year-old UF political science and economics junior, gather in a circle with other protesters as they make signs on the Plaza of the Americas. “I stand with people, not for them,” Triggs said.
