Scores of so-called DREAMers and their supporters marched in freezing temperatures in downtown Detroit today.
The protestors chanted, "What do we want? The DREAM Act! When do we want it? Now!"
They called for immediate passage of the DREAM Act as a condition of keeping the government from shutting down.
DREAMers are undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children.
The marchers want federal lawmakers to vote against any budget deal in Washington -- unless it includes permanent legal protections and a pathway to citizenship for DREAMers.
Marco Ineguez, a DREAMer and a senior in his nursing program, was brought to Detroit as a child.
"We grew up around people here," said Inegeuz. "We literally behave and act and have the same customs and values as anyone in this country. We just don't have that little piece of paper."
"That kind of just sends chills down your spine that at any point we can be deported and separated from our families," said Sergio Martinez, a 29 year-old DREAMer and business manager who was brought to the U.S. as a five-year-old.
