Fifteen years ago, a group of high school students and adult allies came together in Marshalltown to work on advocating for the DREAM Act. This led to the founding of Immigrant Allies of Marshalltown, an all-volunteer organization that is still active today.

In 2010, the DREAM Act had the majority of votes to pass, but unfortunately failed in the eleventh hour due to filibustering (requiring a supermajority to overcome) led in part by our own Senator Grassley. In 2012, DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) was offered. In spite of not being the permanent and legislative fix that is still urgently needed, DACA transformed lives and has made an enormous difference for Marshalltown and Iowa. DACA has allowed people to legally work and drive, as well as better contribute to their state and communities. I could fill pages with stories of DACA recipients whose choices and contributions should be a source of pride for all Iowans who appreciate homegrown success stories.

But today, instead of continuing to move forward, we have gone backward with no new DACA applications being accepted since 2021 and no legislative solution being considered. Our DREAMer youth of today are back in that same situation as we started with pre-2012, with a very uncertain future. And now, one of the only rays of hope for Iowa DREAMers is being threatened with the proposal of Iowa House File 2320, which would prevent public colleges in Iowa from charging in-state tuition to students (regardless of how many years living and attending school in Iowa). This will put 4 year college out of reach and push students into limited and “under the table” jobs for survival.

This course of action, combined with other anti-immigrant legislation being proposed, is not only cruel and immoral — but impractical and damaging to our economy. Iowa needs workers. Iowa needs youth who stay in our communities.

Iowa also needs our youth to stay in school. This lack of a path for the future contributes to hopelessness and despair, high school dropout rates, increased exploitation, and negative outcomes for our community when young people are left without options.

Please stand up for your neighbors and the youth in our state. Contact your Iowa legislators to tell them you oppose these bills. And please remind your federal legislators that we are STILL waiting for the DREAM Act.

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Joa LaVille is a youth services librarian at the Marshalltown Public Library and a co-organizing and founding member of Immigrant Allies of Marshalltown.