Obama's Immigration Plan Cheered In LA: Calif. 'Dreamers' Are Cautiously Optimistic (PHOTOS) | HuffPost

Not All Immigrants Are Celebrating Obama

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Executive Editor, The WorldPost

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Carlos Amador called the mood in downtown Los Angeles Friday morning "cautiously celebratory" as about 150 immigration reform and Dream Act activists gathered following President Barack Obama's announcement to stop deportations and begin granting work permits for some Dream Act-eligible youth.

"Of course, we're thrilled. But we want to make sure that this isn’t just a promise, but that it is implemented. We're not going to stop fighting until this actually becomes a reality," said Amador, a project coordinator for the UCLA DREAM Resource Center.

Jonathan Perez, a 24-year-old who is Dream Act-eligible and a member of the National Immigrant Youth Alliance (NIYA), expressed the same reservation to The Huffington Post. "A lot of organizations are celebrating, which I think is premature because if they had time to read what this policy is, it's very similar to what we've seen in the past."

"There's no details about how this would be enforced. It's not a law. We've seen how badly prosecutorial discretion has worked."

Perez said that because Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has a deportation quota (in 2010, it was 400,000), it doesn't follow memos and announcements saying youth and people without criminal records should be de-prioritized. As proof, Perez pointed to more than 70 cases of Dream Act-eligible youth now in deportation proceedings that he said NIYA is trying to halt.

"What we want is an executive order, which is well within Obama's power, saying he will stop the deportation of Dream Act-eligible youth," Perez said.

NIYA and United We Dream, a national campaign for the Dream Act, have been staging sit-ins since last week at Obama campaign headquarters in Denver, Los Angeles, Oakland, Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati and Detroit [see photos below]. Perez thinks Obama's announcement may have been in reaction to these protests.

"It's like Obama is trying to pacify the youth that are sitting inside his offices. And also it's an election year, and he's trying to get voters in our community," he said.

Still many activists were celebrating the president's announcement in downtown Los Angeles.

"Everybody was just really happy, emotional to say the least. Folks worked so hard and it was great to hear some positive news," Erick Huerta, 27, who is Dream Act-eligible, said Friday. "Every day we hear negative news about things getting worse in Arizona, or another family or friend getting deported. It really uplifted everybody's spirits."

Amador and Perez said immigration groups in Los Angeles and across the country will now work together to reach out and educate communities about the new work-permit application process.

Click through photos of Angelenos celebrating Obama's announcement, of recent sit-ins at Obama headquarters and of California "Dreamers":

CA "Dreamers"

Immigration Activists Demonstrate In Los Angeles(01 of26)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 15: Students block a on ramp to the US101 during a demonstration by immigrant students for an end to deportations and urge relief by governmental agencies for those in deportation proceedings on June 15, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. In a policy change, the Obama administration said it will stop deporting young illegal immigrants who entered the United States as children if they meet certain requirements. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)

Immigration Activists Demonstrate In Los Angeles(02 of26)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 15: Fabiola Saucedo, 26, and her fellow students block an on ramp to the US101 during a demonstration by immigrant students for an end to deportations and urge relief by governmantel agencies for those in deportation proceedings on June 15, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. In a policy change, the Obama administration said it will stop deporting young illegal immigrants who entered the United States as children if they meet certain requirements. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)

Immigration Activists Demonstrate In Los Angeles(03 of26)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 15: Students block the on ramp to US101 freeway during a demonstration by immigrant student for an end to deportations and urge relief by governmental agencies for those in deportation proceedings on June 15, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. In a policy change, the Obama administration said it will stop deporting young illegal immigrants who entered the United States as children if they meet certain requirements. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)

Immigration Activists Demonstrate In Los Angeles(04 of26)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 15: Students wearing t-shirts during a demonstration by immigrant student for an end to deportations and urge relief by governmental agencies for those in deportation proceedings on June 15, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. In a policy change, the Obama administration said it will stop deporting young illegal immigrants who entered the United States as children if they meet certain requirements. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)

Immigration Activists Demonstrate In Los Angeles(05 of26)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 15: Students wearing t-shirts during a demonstration by immigrant student for an end to deportations and urge relief by governmental agencies for those in deportation proceedings on June 15, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. In a policy change, the Obama administration said it will stop deporting young illegal immigrants who entered the United States as children if they meet certain requirements. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)

Immigration Activists Demonstrate In Los Angeles(06 of26)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 15: Student Milca Calymayor (R), 18-years-old, blocks a a street around the Los Angeles Federal Building during a demonstration by immigrant students for an end to deportations and urge relief by governmental agencies for those in deportation proceedings on June 15, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. In a policy change, the Obama administration said it will stop deporting young illegal immigrants who entered the United States as children if they meet certain requirements. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)

Immigration Activists Demonstrate In Los Angeles(07 of26)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 15: Students (L-R) Sarait Escorza, 23, Isabelle Vargas, 20, and Maricella Aguilar, 21, block the on ramp of US101 freeway during a demonstration by immigrant students for an end to deportations and urge relief by governmental agencies for those in deportation proceedings on June 15, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. In a policy change, the Obama administration said it will stop deporting young illegal immigrants who entered the United States as children if they meet certain requirements. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)

Immigration Activists Demonstrate In Los Angeles(08 of26)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 15: Students block the on ramp of the US101 freeway during a demonstration by immigrant students for an end to deportations and urge relief by governmental agencies for those in deportation proceedings on June 15, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. In a policy change, the Obama administration said it will stop deporting young illegal immigrants who entered the United States as children if they meet certain requirements. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)

Immigration Activists Demonstrate In Los Angeles(09 of26)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 15: Students block a street around the Los Angeles Federal Building and the on ramp of US101 freeway during a demonstration by immigrant students for an end to deportations and urge relief by governmental agencies for those in deportation proceedings on June 15, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. In a policy change, the Obama administration said it will stop deporting young illegal immigrants who entered the United States as children if they meet certain requirements. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)

Immigration Activists Demonstrate In Los Angeles(10 of26)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 15: Students block a a street around the Los Angeles Federal Building during a demonstration by immigrant students for an end to deportations and urge relief by governmental agencies for those in deportation proceedings on June 15, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. In a policy change, the Obama administration said it will stop deporting young illegal immigrants who entered the United States as children if they meet certain requirements. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)

Immigration Activists Demonstrate In Los Angeles(11 of26)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 15: Students block a a street around the Los Angeles Federal Building during a demonstration by immigrant students for an end to deportations and urge relief by governmental agencies for those in deportation proceedings on June 15, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. In a policy change, the Obama administration said it will stop deporting young illegal immigrants who entered the United States as children if they meet certain requirements. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)

(12 of26)

(AP Photo/Nick Ut) (credit:AP)

(13 of26)

"Right to Dream" students and supporters block the street outside the federal Metropolitan Detention Center Friday June 15, 2012, in Los Angeles to celebrate the Obama administrations decision to stop deporting younger illegal immigrants. Obama says his plan to stop deporting younger illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children will make the system "more fair, more efficient and more just." (AP Photo/Nick Ut) (credit:AP)

Leslie Osegueda(14 of26)

Leslie Osegueda, a"Right to Dream" supporter blocks the street outside the federal Metropolitan Detention Center Friday June 15, 2012, in Los Angeles to celebrate the Obama administrations decision to stop deporting younger illegal immigrants. Obama says his plan to stop deporting younger illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children will make the system "more fair, more efficient and more just." (AP Photo/Nick Ut) (credit:AP)

(15 of26)

Photo credit: National Immigrant Youth Alliance

(16 of26)

Photo credit: National Immigrant Youth Alliance

(17 of26)

Photo credit: National Immigrant Youth Alliance

(18 of26)

Photo credit: National Immigrant Youth Alliance

Fermin Vasquez(19 of26)

Fermin Vasquez serves as the statewide Communications Coordinator for Californians for Justice. One of Los Angeles' youngest emerging Latino leaders, Fermin was a Front Line Leaders Academy Fellow with the People for the American Way Foundation, based in Washington D.C. In 2010, Fermin became the first one in his family to graduate from college, and received his degree in Political Science from California State University, Los Angeles. He was also a founding member and President of Students United to Reach Goals in Education (S.U.R.G.E.), a support and advocacy organization for those that may not have come here with the right papers, but have been raised with the right values.He is a contributor to the HuffPost LatinoVoices DREAMers Blog Series, and his posts can be read here.Photo courtesy of: Fermin Vasquez

Laura E. Enriquez(20 of26)

Laura E. Enriquez is a doctoral candidate in sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles where she does research on the experiences of undocumented young adults. She is a dedicated scholar-activist and specializes in immigration, race/ethnicity, and gender. She has been mentoring, teaching, and organizing with undocumented young adults for the past five years.She is a contributor to the HuffPost LatinoVoices DREAMers Blog Series, and her posts can be read here.Photo courtesy of: Laura E. Enriquez (credit:Reed Hutchinson)

Fernando Romero(21 of26)

Fernando Romero is the Coordinator for the Justice for Immigrants Coalition of Inland Southern California; he is also a co-founding member of Dreamers Adrift, a new media project for undocumented students, by undocumented students.He is a contributor to the HuffPost LatinoVoices DREAMers Blog Series, and his posts can be read here.Photo courtesy of: Fernando Romero

Alma Castrejon(22 of26)

Alma Castrejon was born in Mexico City and came to the United States at the age of seven. In 2008, she graduated from UC Riverside with B.A. degrees in Political Science - International Relations and Chicano Studies. While at UCR she founded Providing Opportunities, Dreams and Education in Riverside (PODER), a support group for undocumented students on campus. In 2011, Alma received her Master of Arts degree in Education at CSU Long Beach. She has been a member of Dream Team Los Angeles (DTLA), a community and student group that advocates for undocumented student rights and immigrant rights, since 2009; she is also an active member of Graduates Reaching a Dream Deferred (GRADD), a group of undocumented graduate students that addresses the needs of immigrant students interested in pursuing graduate education. Alma will be applying to law school in the fall of 2012. She is a contributor to the HuffPost LatinoVoices DREAMers Blog Series, and her posts can be read here.Photo courtesy of: Alma Castrejon

Nancy Meza(23 of26)

Nancy Meza is a human being from Jalisco, Mexico. She was brought to the U.S. by her responsible and courageous mother at the age of two and proudly grew up in East Los Angeles California. She is a graduate of Theodore Roosevelt High School in Boyle Heights. After High School she attended East Los Angeles Community College and transferred to UCLA where she became actively involved in organizing around undocumented and immigrant rights issues with IDEAS at UCLA and Dream Team Los Angeles. She graduated with a degree in Chicana/o Studies and a Labor and Work Place Studies minor in 2010. She is currently an intern at the Dream Resource Center; a project out of the UCLA Labor Center and continues to organize with Dream Team Los Angeles where she is a member of the media and communications team. She is a contributor to the HuffPost LatinoVoices DREAMers Blog Series, and her posts can be read here.Photo courtesy of: Nancy Meza

Erick Huerta(24 of26)

Erick Huerta is majoring in journalism at East Los Angeles College. As a member of Dream Team Los Angeles, he is one of the coordinators handling the group's communications and social media endeavors. He has lived in the U.S. for the past 20 years and has been chronicling his personal experiences as an undocumented resident for the last eight years on his personal blog. He's also a community reporter for the community of Boyle Heights and an avid cyclist. He can be recognized by his trademark bigotes. He is a contributor to the HuffPost LatinoVoices DREAMers Blog Series, and his posts can be read here.Photo courtesy of: Erick Huerta

Jonathan Perez(25 of26)

Jonathan Perez is a queer undocumented political exile from Colombia, and a Co-Founder of the Immigrant Youth Coalition in Southern California. On why he contributes to the series, he writes, "It is shocking to most, but I don't actually advocate for the DREAM Act. I organize for the rights of undocumented immigrants. I believe that in order to have meaningful changes we must first address the root causes. In order to change our realities we have to build a global movement and a global revolution. I write for the Huffington Post DREAMers Blog Series because it gives me the opportunity to give a different perspective to what the issues of undocumented people are."You can read his posts here.Photo courtesy of: Jonathan Perez

Jesus Cortez(26 of26)

Jesus Cortez is an undocumented graduate student at the California State University, Long Beach College of Education. He grew up in Anaheim, California and is a member of the Orange County Dream Team. He is a contributor to the DREAMers Blog Series, and his posts can be read here.Photo courtesy of: Jesus Cortez

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