Isabel Castillo

Isabel Castillo graduated magna cum laude with a degree in social work from Eastern Mennonite University. However, she is waiting tables to make a living.

That is because Castillo is an undocumented immigrant brought to the United States from Mexico by her parents when she was a child, according to this article in C-VILLE, a publication serving Charlottesville, VA.

Many young undocumented workers cannot get higher paying jobs because they do not have the proper documentation or fear they will be deported.

Congress recently introduced the DREAM Act after President Obama pledged to push for immigration reform. The DREAM Act allows young undocumented immigrants to apply for citizenship provided they attend college or join the military, the article said.

Although an undocumented alien Castillo went public with her story and is lobbying for the bill to pass. “It was really after I graduated from EMU that I decided to share my story and be more open about it,” she said.

The National Association of Social Workers supports the DREAM Act and has already written about Castillo’s story. To learn more click here to read a July 2010 Human Rights Update from NASW’s Human Rights and International Affairs division.