OK Immigrant Advocacy Group Says It's Misunderstood By Public

An immigrant advocacy group is discussing some of the Trump administration's controversial moves to protect our borders.

At a meeting Friday night, they said they feel misunderstood by the public.

The members of Dream Act actually call themselves dreamers - they dream of equality and brighter futures for themselves and for their families.

Jordan Mazariegos came to the United States as a kid in 1996.

"Ever since then, I felt like I was a part of Oklahoma," Mazariegos said.

He said he didn't start to feel the impact of being an immigrant until he was a little older.

"Maybe the people I interact within my daily life are friendly, but, at a law-making level, at a legislative level, it's not so friendly," he said.

That's what he and members of the Dream Act talk about at their meetings, and it comes as no surprise that a hot topic recently has been immigration laws.

Mazariegos said, "It's bad. We feel our brothers and sisters from the Muslim community are already feeling that impact, and we're afraid that we're next."

It’s a scary feeling for a group of immigrants that is simply trying to better themselves and the country they love.

"We are not criminals. We are not rapists, the way they said. We are human beings that are looking for a better life, same as everybody else," said Vicente Ruiz with Dream Act OK. "We all came from different countries. There is good people and there is bad people everywhere in the world."

"Just like they are concerned about security and the economy, we are too. We want to feel safe in the city we grew up in," Mazariegos said. "The only thing that separates us is a piece of paper."

Mazariegos said anyone and everyone is welcome to attend the meetings. He said he feels the general public might even understand them a little better if they did.