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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Four students from Miami Dade College are going for a walk — all the way to Washington, D.C.

They travel about 17 miles each day, and Thursday their walk brought them to the UF campus.

Their campaign is called the Trail of DREAMs (Development Relief and Education of Alien Minors), and the students will be making their way through Gainesville by foot to protest immigration policy.

Felipe Matos, 23, Gaby Pacheco, 25, Carlos Roa, 22, and Juan Rodriguez, 20, began the 1,500-mile journey on Jan. 1.

They walked north on 13th Street, arriving at Tigert Hall at about 2 p.m. Thursday.

About 30 gathered at the rally, organized by the Coalition of Hispanics Integrating Spanish Speakers through Advocacy and Service (CHISPAS), to hear their message.

The walkers shared their stories, talked about what they hope to accomplish with their journey and answered questions.

“This is not a four-people walk,” Matos said. “This is a movement.”

CHISPAS also held a forum Thursday night in Hurley Hall to give community members and students another opportunity to hear the walkers’ stories.

The idea for the walk was born in November 2009 after the group had protested together for about two years.

Matos said they felt that the rallies weren’t doing enough to solve the problems undocumented immigrants face in the United States.

“We had to do something bigger,” he said. “Something that would require sacrifice.”

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The walkers are often joined by community members who want to show their support.

Matos said they have seen crowds of nearly 100 people follow them.

“It’s so amazing to see that we have become a beacon of hope for these people that are silenced,” he said.

Bianca Gras, president of CHISPAS, and Matos both encouraged students and residents to come out and support the walkers during their time in Gainesville.

"Trail of Dreams is an amazing story and an amazing cause," Gras said. "We've been fighting for this since we started."

Matos shared Gras' sentiments.

“The most important part of our campaign is the people who stay in the communities,” Matos said. “They are the ones who truly affect the change.”

For more information about Trail of DREAMs or to donate directly to the cause, visit the team’s Web site at www.trail2010.org.

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