Center for Community Change
Marie Gonzalez Nineteen-year-old Marie Gonzalez emigrated from Costa Rica with her parents when she was only five. Marie and her family settled in Jefferson City, Missouri, but despite their town's love and support, Marie’s parents were deported in July 2005 and Marie may face that same fate a year later.

Marie's tragic situation is far too common. Every year, 65,000 immigrants graduate from U.S. high schools without the opportunity to go to college or work because of their immigration status. And thousands of families are torn apart by our broken immigration system.

But there is hope. The DREAM Act and comprehensive immigration reform can help Marie go to college, become a citizen, and reunite with her parents.

Our Stories

Marie was an honor student and track star in high school, and her parents were entrepreneurs who worked hard, paid taxes, and volunteered at their church. They were living the American Dream, but then it was all taken away from them.

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Congress must work to fix our broken immigration system for Marie, the thousands of other students like her, and all families like the Gonzalezes, by passing the DREAM Act and comprehensive immigration reform.

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Dear Diary

Marie started documenting her experiences weeks before her parents had to leave this country. From her experiences fighting to stay in this country to saying good-bye to her parents, Marie’s diary and podcasts have helped express her thoughts and feelings in her own words.

Read Marie's diary

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