Immigrants rally for better education in New Mexico

Hundreds of young immigrants and their supporters held a rally at the Roundhouse Wednesday afternoon.They were advocating for more bilingual and multicultural inclusivity and more state funding for the state’s education system.

18-year-old Blanca Bañuelos, who is a DACA recipient, said faced the challenges while trying to pursue a higher education.

“A lot of the college career counselors do not give you the same resources that they give a person who lives here, a citizen,” Bañuelos said. “Most of the time they don’t offer you the same scholarships or they simply feel like they shouldn’t share their resources with you.”

The rally, organized by the New Mexico Dream Team, was about delivering a message to lawmakers to improve education for all students – not just immigrant students.

“We want our students to have the best education possible. Sadly, our state is at the bottom of the national rankings when it comes to education and that’s not OK,” said Luis Leyva of the New Mexico Dream Team.Leyva said the rally was also about protesting President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency to fund a border wall.

[Read more]