For Immediate Release: November 21, 2025
Contact: Fermin Vasquez at [email protected]
Gaby Pacheco Reflects on Narrative Change, Higher Ed Misinformation, and What You Need to Know Re. DACA
Read the personal essay from TheDream.US President & CEO in the American Bar Association’s Human Rights magazine HERE
Washington, DC – In a series of recent essays and personal reflections, TheDream.US President & CEO Gaby Pacheco offers important insights on how to promote effective narrative change in the current moment; how and why higher education institutions shouldn’t let fear and misinformation restrict opportunities; and resources and answers on common questions and misconceptions around DACA.
In a Substack essay, “The Power of Discomfort: Reframing Narrative Change Through Self-Reflection and Story,” Pacheco reflects that empathy can’t be forced, but courage can be taught, writing:
“People don’t move because they suddenly feel a surge of empathy. They move because they’re made uncomfortable—and they stay in that discomfort long enough to start asking hard questions about themselves. You can’t make someone care. Empathy doesn’t grow through guilt. But you can teach people to be fearless in facing themselves. Narrative change isn’t just about who gets to speak—it’s about who’s willing to listen inward.”
Read the full essay on Substack: “The Power of Discomfort: Reframing Narrative Change Through Self-Reflection and Story”
In an essay for the American Bar Association’s Human Rights magazine, “Preemptive Obedience in Higher Education Institutions,” Pacheco reflects on how some higher education institutions are letting fear and misinformation – not the law – guide their policies at this moment, writing:
“Dreamers across the country have faced closed doors to higher education, not because of their potential (or their lack of), but because of fear and misinterpretation of the law. This fear is what we call preemptive obedience – when institutions limit opportunities not because the law requires it but because they are afraid of what might happen if they do. Today, state colleges and universities are making decisions not based on clear law but on guidance filtered through politics and fear.
… There are no federal laws prohibiting admission. There are no federal laws banning aid for Dreamers. What exists is uncertainty, political hostility, and the temptation to avoid risk by saying “no.” But the law is not strengthened by retreat. It is strengthened when institutions stand firm in defense of rights, even in times of fear and uncertainty.”
Read the full essay in the American Bar Association’s Human Rights magazine, “Preemptive Obedience in Higher Education Institutions,”
And in a video posted to YouTube, Gaby Pacheco is joined by MALDEF President & General Counsel Thomas Saenz to discuss all the latest on DACA – essential reflections and legal analysis at a time when misinformation on DACA is rampant.
Their discussion focuses on two key topics:
- What’s going to happen to DACA, particularly to work authorization for those who live in Texas?
- Are first time applications to DACA going to ever be processed?
Watch the 10-minute discussion, “What You Need to Know: DACA Update Nov. 2025” on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eox3gYBMt-Y
About TheDream.US
TheDream.US is the nation’s leading organization supporting Dreamers at the intersection of higher education, workforce development, immigration, and advocacy. We’ve awarded over 12,000 scholarships to immigrant youth from 120+ countries and 45 states, with 4,500 graduates to date. We partner with close to 80 colleges in 20 states to provide scholarships, career support, and access to legal options that help Dreamers break through systemic barriers and achieve social mobility.
Through data, Scholar and Alumni stories, strategic partnerships, and targeted state and local advocacy, we work to expand equitable access to college, professional pathways, and permanent legal status. For more information on TheDream.US, visit www.thedream.us
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