DENVER, CO — FWD.us Colorado Immigration Manager Marissa Molina, a DACA recipient, issued the following statement today after attending the the 2020 Colorado State of the State address as a guest of Governor Jared Polis:
“I am honored to have attended the State of the State address as a guest of Governor Polis, and am thankful for his leadership and continued support for immigrant and refugee communities across Colorado. Sitting in the gallery as the governor reaffirmed his commitment to expanding opportunity for all Coloradans – regardless of immigration status – was incredibly moving, and speaks volumes of how immigrants can thrive when given the chance to participate more fully in our communities.
“I am proud to lead FWD.us’ immigration advocacy efforts in our state. Over the past three years, we have been working tirelessly to bring together local legislators, business leaders and community members to advocate for sensible policy changes that will benefit Colorado families and our economy. We’re proud of the incredible progress we made last year, including helping to expand access to SB251 driver’s licenses by increasing the number of licensing facilities in the state.
“We look forward to seeing this expansion through implementation over the next several months, and will continue to promote awareness of the economic and social benefits that expanded access to driver’s licenses brings to our state. We are committed to working with Governor Polis, local leaders and community members for meaningful reforms that will protect families and create a more prosperous future for all Coloradans.”
More Background
In 2019, Marissa Molina became the first Dreamer to serve on a state board in Colorado when Governor Polis appointed her to the Board of Trustees of Metropolitan State University of Denver. In his State of the State address today, the governor reaffirmed his commitment to immigrant communities, stating:
“And finally, in the face of unprecedented hostility from this White House toward our immigrant communities, we say loudly and proudly that we stand with DREAMers and refugees.
“I was proud to appoint Marissa Molina, the first DREAMer in Colorado history to serve on a state board or commission, to the board of Metro State University, and I’d like to take a moment to recognize Marissa, who is here today. Marissa, please stand up.
“We still need the federal government to pass comprehensive immigration reform, and I urge the Supreme Court to do the right thing and protect DREAMers. But in the meantime, let’s acknowledge how aspiring Americans like Marissa are working to make Colorado better today.”