This morning, DREAMer activist leader Erika Andiola made an appearance on Univision’s Al Punto with Jorge Ramos.
Andiola, whose family story gained global attention after Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials raided her home the night of January 10, discussed several topics in this segment, from the events surrounding the ICE raid to the recent announcement that she has become a staffer for Arizona Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D).
Ramos asked Andiola about the night of January 10, and Andiola shared the details that she made public on January 11, saying that ICE agents never entered her home because they did not have a warrant (they just knocked on her door), but that they were able to get her mother out of the house because they had questions about her brother. She also described her feelings that night, and after getting over the shock, she organized to get the word out on about her family.
Andiola also said that many young DREAMers who have yet to apply for Deferred Action still cannot afford the DACA application fee ($465) or have yet to graduate from high school or earn a GED. She encouraged DREAMers to try to apply for DACA since she believes that many DREAMers are still being targeted, specifically in Phoenix, which is under the jurisdiction of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
She closed the segment by saying that she feels very proud of her Mexican heritage, but as she told Ramos in Spanish, “I love this country [USA] and I consider myself a Mexican American.”
