Activists in Arizona (Source: The Guardian)

For over ten years, the US Congress has been pondering if to pass or not a bill called the DREAM act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) to regularise the position of undocumented migrants who had been brought to the US at an early age. Given the situation of political standstill, the Obama’s administration has eventually decided (out of opportunism and genuine committment) to intervene on the matter through an executive action bypassing the Congress. The executive order grants a suspension of deportation proceedings against young undocumented migrants (with a number of specifications) and issue renewable temporary permits of residence.

The so-called Dreamers movement has been campaigning hard to push the Obama’s administration to act on its electoral promise for years (see the recent campaign). This is a great success story for migrants’ activism. The executive order is not as good as the Dream Act, but at least a step in the right direction. Not least for the strong and public endorsement from Obama to push once again the Dream Act through the Congress. When will we see a Dreamers movement in the UK?

For more info read Amy Goodman’s piece on the Guardian and the coverage of the Los Angeles Times