On Saturday, September 9th, 2017, residents of Southern Idaho gathered at the Twin Falls County Courthouse to rally in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) immigration policy.

The event, hosted by Benjamin Reed, Jerome Unido and Candice Ramsey, is one of the first rallies I can remember taking place in Twin Falls since I have lived here. Normally, if you are interested in finding a group of citizens ready to use their voice for good, you have to find a protest a couple hours away in Boise or in the college city of Moscow. Not only was I amazed that an event had been organized in Twin, but the respectable size of the group that showed up in order to defend DACA's Dreamers inspired me.

Benjamin Reed

Candice Ramsey

At the beginning of September, Trump "ordered an end to the Obama-era program," resulting in protests, outrage and fear for young Dreamers across the nation. It was a move many on all sides condemned as "coldhearted and shortsighted" that would harm people as well as the economy.

In response, southern Idaho residents from Twin Falls, Jerome and other surrounding areas came together to speak out in support of DACA and those impacted by the policy.

Local news was also present as Dreamers, allies, friends and family spoke in front of the crowd, sharing their own personal stories or words of support. The rally was peaceful, with countless strangers coming together in a show of solidarity to defend DACA.

There was even a moment where a man and his son, who had been driving by in their truck, noticed the protest signs on the street corner in front of the courthouse and stopped. The two both spoke in defense of the Dreamers, stating that once they saw what the rally was about they had to come back and show support for their fellow human beings.

At the rally, volunteers were handing out papers with information on how to contact Idaho legislators, as well as statistics on DACA in Idaho. On the flier that rally attendees received, "Idaho and DACA: The Facts," it discussed how in the state DACA has allowed more than 3,100 young people to come forward, pass background checks, and live and work legally in the country.

DACA recipients have had their protection renewed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security nearly 2,700 times. Ending DACA in Idaho would cost the state more than "$159.5 million in annual GDP losses."

The flier also touched on national DACA statistics, such as how the program has changed the lives of nearly 800,000 young people who have lived in the United States since childhood, allowing them to better contribute to their families and communities. Ending DACA would remove an estimated "685,000 workers from the nation's economy," and losing the program would result in the loss of "$460.3 billion from the national GDP over the next decade."

Finally, the flier also included the results of two separate surveys taken in the country concerning DACA. The first stated that a recent nationwide survey found that recipients who received DACA moved onto jobs with better pay (63%) which allowed them to gain better access to employment that matched their education and training and with better working conditions. The second survey was conducted in April of 2017 by registered voters and found that 78% of American voters support giving Dreamers the chance to stay permanently in America, including "73% of Trump voters." Only 14% of all voters "believe Dreamers should be deported."

For more photos of the event, visit here.

To support DACA and request that the government focus its priorities on the Dream Act, call: (202) 224-3121

For Idaho residents, specifically:

Senator Mike Crapo: call 208-734-2515 or email: crapo.senate.gov/contact/email-me

Senator Jim Risch: call 208-734-6780 or email: preciouspearl7266@gmail.com

Congressman Mike Simpson: call 208-734-7219 or email: simpson.house.gov/contact

Jerome County Commission (ICE contract): call 208-644-2701 or email: chowell@co.jerome.id.us