For Immediate Release: May 14, 2025
Contact: Fermin Vasquez at [email protected]
Statement from Gaby Pacheco on the Detention of TheDream.US Scholarship Recipient Ximena Arias Cristobal
Washington, DC – Ximena Arias Cristobal is a 19-year old college student and recipient of TheDream.US National Scholarship currently being held in a ICE detention center in Georgia and facing potential deportation. The following is a statement from Gaby Pacheco, President and CEO of TheDream.US, the nation’s largest college and career success program for Dreamers:
“Ximena is a 19-year-old college student who came to the U.S. when she was 4 years old. She grew up here. She studied hard. She is an older sister to two U.S. citizens. She earned our TheDream.US National Scholarship because of her potential and commitment to her community. But because of outdated and cruel policies, she can’t get a driver’s license, a valid ID, or apply for legal status. So we ask: is the answer really to discard her—to deport a young woman to a country she doesn’t know?
As a nation, we’ve shown that when we want to be, we can be humane. We have opened our arms to those seeking refuge and opportunity, just recently for white South Africans. So why not do the same for Dreamers and families like Ximena’s—young people who have been here for decades, who belong, who contribute, and who call this country home? If we have found ways to welcome others with compassion and dignity, we can and must do the same for Ximena.
Let’s be clear: what is happening to Ximena is not justice—it’s the result of decades of policy failure. From President Bush, Obama, Biden to President Trump, and through multiple Congresses, led by Republicans and Democrats, our government has known about the millions of people who live, work, and contribute in this country without legal status. Instead of solving the problem, leaders have looked the other way. Now, our government leaders are quick to blame the most vulnerable for a situation they created through their inaction.
The American people—Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and those who don’t follow politics—understand fairness when they see it. Ximena is one of our own, and we must do everything in our power to ensure she can remain in the only country she has ever known.
We stand with Ximena. And we ask for everyone who loves our nation to use their voice to demand that she and all Dreamers are treated with dignity, fairness, and the opportunity they deserve and our country will benefit from.”
About TheDream.US
TheDream.US is the nation’s largest college and career success program for undocumented immigrant students, having provided more than 11,000 college scholarships to Dreamers attending close to 80 partner colleges in 20 states and Washington, DC. We believe everyone, regardless of where they were born, should have equitable access to a college education, a meaningful career, and opportunities to contribute to the communities they call home. For more information on TheDream.US, visit www.thedream.us.
Read TheDream.US 10-year impact report: “From Dreams to Destinations: A Decade of Immigrant Achievements and the Future Ahead.” Filled with never-released data and snapshot profiles of some of the organization’s 4,000-plus Alumni, the report documents how increased access to higher education and career opportunities catalyze social mobility and positive outcomes for individual Dreamers, as well as their families, workplaces, and broader communities.
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