Victory! Ivan Reunited With Family and Friends

America's Voice Blog

Posted 08/25/10 at 03:19pm

Yesterday, Ivan with members of OneMichigan (shown in the picture on the right with Ivan holding a sign that reads: Pass the DREAM Act Now!) held a press event in support of the bi-partisan legislation called the DREAM Act that would give undocumented young people like Ivan who were brought to the United States at a young age a path to citizenship.

Priscila Martinez, an organizer with OneMichigan, said “This is a victory and it feels good to be able to help Ivan, but we need to continue working to pass the DREAM Act as soon as possible because every day we are losing a DREAMer.”

Three months ago, Ivan was detained by ICE merely because his mother missed a court-date ten years ago when he was 12. Ivan was brought to the United States from Russia when he was only eleven. His mother married a U.S. citizen and his family has lived in Michigan for the last decade. On the morning of May 5th, Ivan's home was raided by ICE and his mother was deported back to Russia.

His story is all too familiar. According to most figures, nearly one million undocumented youth are in situations similar to Ivan’s.

For the last three months, Ivan has been imprisoned in an ICE facility where the only way he could see his family and fiancée was through a glass viewing wall in the visitation center. While Ivan was locked away, public support for his release grew. First in Michigan and then throughout the country as advocates called for his immediate release.

Thanks to his supporters, they sent over 20,000 faxes to DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano and Ivan’s congressional representatives, and hand-delivered 6,000 petitions to ICE in Washington, DC.

Finally, after a long wait, the news came. Ivan was to be released.

Alanna Woolley, Ivan’s fiancée said that she was “ecstatic that ICE has responded to the overwhelming public support.”

Still, Ivan has to wear an ankle bracelet and faces an uncertain future.

"Ivan is only temporarily in the clear; to be safe from deportation again we need the DREAM Act to pass” said Rigo Padilla, a national organizer for the DREAM Act.

As the fight for the DREAM Act continues, you can help by signing our petition to President Obama and Congress asking them to pass the DREAM Act this year.