On July 22, a group of DREAMers protested in front of Rep. Raul Grijalva’s office for the release of the “Dream 9.”

Immigration amd Customs Enforcement detained nine young deportees who crossed the Nogales, Sonora port of entry into the United States to test President Barack Obama’s administration and support the DREAM Act.

The DREAM Act is a bipartisan legislation that would provide qualifying undocumented youth eligibility for a six-year long conditional path to citizenship that requires completion of a college degree or two years of military service, acorrding to dreamact.info.

DREAMers therefore, are those who want to continue their education and pursue the American dream. They represent millions of adolescents who were brought to the U.S. illegally for a better life.

Of the more than 3 million who graduate from high school each year, approximately 65,000 are not given the opportunity to continue their education. Rather, they are just given the inherited title of illegal immigrant.

Most of them have lived in the United States their entire lives, yet end up being deported back to countries they are not familiar with. They deserve the opportunity to attend college or serve in the military.

The goal of the original protest by the “Dream 9” was to gain the attention of Congress and lawmakers in order to pass an immigration reform bill. The courageous group left the United States and endeavored to walk back into the U. S. from Mexico with other undocumented individuals. According to Huffington Post, the protest was in response to the 1.7 million deportations that have occurred under Obama’s administration.The group was unfairly detained due to this protest, however, their mission has not failed.

Although some might deem this strategy senseless, it could spur more attempts to actually pass an immigration reform. The least this protest could do is place added pressure on the House of Representatives to review these issues.

All it takes to get the ball rolling on contentious issues is a group of daring people who have a valid point to raise, and are willing to fight to prove it.

Like this group who symbolically gathered at the border in caps and gowns, emphasized the need for change.

The Arizona Daily Star reported that Grijalva’s office and other lawmakers claim to be working on a letter to Obama concerning the issue.

But a mere letter will not be enough, it will only call the president’s attention to an issue lawmakers have already been trying to solve. Action needs to be taken.

If Congress does not act, then people will surely try to take matters into their own hands.

The “Dream 9” protest is sure to become one of hundreds unless a more comprehensive immigration bill, that will allow these young individuals to continue living in the United States and pursue their dreams, is passed.

—Marisela Siqueiros is a senior studying English. She can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu or via Twitter @WildcatsOpinions.