WASHINGTON, DC — Today, FWD.us is launching a new ad as part of its 7-figure national campaign responding to a federal court ruling in Texas that blocks future DACA enrollment. The new ad, Maria, features Maria Praeli, one of the Dreamers who recently met with President Biden in the Oval Office, talking about the need for the Senate to act on legislation to protect Dreamers like her.

Maria Praeli moved to the United States from Peru at five years old to seek medical treatment for her sister, whose leg was amputated in a car accident. Today, Maria is the government relations manager at FWD.us. After moving from Peru, Maria attended public schools in Connecticut before earning an associate’s degree in liberal arts from Gateway Community College, and then a bachelor’s degree in political science from Quinnipiac University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude.

The ad will run online across the country as part of FWD.us’ ongoing 7-figure national campaign urging Congress to pass a pathway to citizenship.

“America is my home, it has been since I was five years old and it’s the only place I can imagine continuing to build my life,” said Maria Praeli. “A few months ago I met with the President of the United States in the Oval Office. Only in a country like this one would that have been possible. But the federal judge in Texas who ruled that DACA is illegal will block other young people from having this same opportunity. The decision threw the lives of hundreds of thousands of people into chaos, reminding us that only a pathway to citizenship will secure our futures in the country we call home. The House has already passed legislation that would fix this problem, but the Senate must take action. We can’t afford to wait any longer, we need Congress to pass legislation that gives a path to citizenship for TPS Holders, Essential Workers, and Dreamers like me. ”