Support for LAist comes from
Become a sponsor
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Donate
Stay Connected

LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio, a member-supported public media network.

Audience-funded nonprofit news
Listen
Donate
Podcasts Take Two
2013 Review: 'Dreamer 9' activist Lizbeth Mateo looks back
solid orange rectangular banner
()
Take Two Logo
Dec 26, 2013
Listen • 4:58
2013 Review: 'Dreamer 9' activist Lizbeth Mateo looks back
One of the most dramatic events in the immigration debate took place in July, when nine undocumented activists met at the port of entry at Nogales, Arizona at the US-Mexico border.
Eight "Dreamers" wearing their school graduation caps and gowns to show their desire to finish school in the U.S., march with linked arms to the U.S. port of entry where they planned to request humanitarian parole, in Nogales, Mexico, Monday, July 22, 2013. U.S. border officials later detained the group who asked to be allowed to re-enter the United States from Mexico on humanitarian grounds in a protest against the country’s immigration policies.
Eight "Dreamers" wearing their school graduation caps and gowns to show their desire to finish school in the U.S., march with linked arms to the U.S. port of entry where they planned to request humanitarian parole, in Nogales, Mexico, Monday, July 22, 2013. U.S. border officials later detained the group who asked to be allowed to re-enter the United States from Mexico on humanitarian grounds in a protest against the country’s immigration policies.
(
Samantha Sais
)

One of the most dramatic events in the immigration debate took place in July, when nine undocumented activists met at the port of entry at Nogales, Arizona at the US-Mexico border.

As we take a look back at 2013, the debate over immigration policy stands out as one of the most contested.  

One of the most dramatic events in the immigration debate took place in July, when nine undocumented activists met at the port of entry at Nogales, Arizona at the US-Mexico border.

They were detained and taken to the Eloy Detention Center, and became known as the Dreamer 9.  One of those youths, Lizbeth Mateo of Los Angeles, joins the show to talk about that experience and where she is now.