Visible Signs of Support for Dreamers - Western Colorado Alliance for Community Action

Come have your photo taken in the Inside Out photo truck on Nov. 28, then paste it up as part of this public art installation. Together we will send a strong message to our U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton that he needs to sign on to the 2017 Dream Act! Inside Out will be at FACTORY (750 Main St, Grand Junction) from 10 am to 4 pm. All ages are welcome; there is no cost to participate.

Since President Trump’s announcement on Sept. 6 that he would end the DACA program (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) in six months, WCC has been working with its allies to rally support for these young “Dreamers” who were brought to the U.S. as children.

If Congress doesn’t pass the Dream Act soon, these young people could be arrested, jailed, and deported out of the only country they have ever known. Our voices can help to change that by urging our representatives (like Tipton) to support a clean Dream Act, spreading the word on social media, and talking with friends and family across the holiday dinner table.

The Inside Out collage will include immigrants, the descendants of immigrants and supporters alike. It brings clarity to the fact that the nearly 800,000 impacted by this misguided decision are not numbers, but human beings, each with their own powerful story. Their stories are American stories, solidly connected to the heterogeneity of America’s heritage.

Colorado’s US Senators Michael Bennet (D) and Corey Gardner (R) have already pledged support for such legislation. However, US Rep. Scott Tipton (R), who represents Western Colorado, has not.

You can also contact US Rep. Scott Tipton (R-CO) at:

(202) 225-4761 in Washington DC or
(970) 241-2499 in Grand Junction

and urge him to support the 2017 Dream Act as a first step in fixing our broken immigration system.

WCC is co-sponsoring the Inside Out event together with the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, Hispanic Affairs Project and Organizing For Action Grand Junction. The event is hosted by FACTORY and the Emerson Collective.

The Inside Out Project is a global participatory art project that gives everyone the opportunity to share their portrait and express what they stand for. It is a global platform for people to share their untold stories and transform messages of personal identity into works of public art. It was launched in 2011 by world-renowned artist JR. Since then, over 300,000 people have participated in 141 countries. The project has traveled from Ecuador to Nepal, from Mexico to Indonesia, inspiring group actions on varied themes such as hope, diversity, gender-based violence, and climate change.

For more information and future stops: www.insideoutproject.net/dreamers

About the author

Jeriel Clark

Jeriel joined the Western Colorado Alliance staff in February 2017 (back when we were still Western Colorado Congress), but you may remember her as our Canvass Director for the successful Minimum Wage ballot initiative in 2016! In her young career, Jeriel has worked with engaged citizens across Colorado on issues ranging from veterans' affairs, healthcare and women’s rights. Jeriel has called Grand Junction and the Western Slope home for 16 years, and enjoys running, hiking, biking and crafting with her daughter Emma.