On Tuesday, President Donald Trump officially rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, effective six months from now.

Developed under the the Obama administration, the program provided renewable, two-year deferrals to children of illegal immigrants from many countries.

The program covered almost 800,000 children and young adults, often known as Dreamers, a  name that came from the failed  Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act. The Dreamers are mainly students, although some of them have moved into the workforce.

As a response to Trump’s action, groups from throughout the country gathered in the political hub of Washington, D.C., to march, rally and support each other.

I was a part of that group, not as a Dreamer or family member, and not even for the sake of what I would call immigrant solidarity, but in the name of advocacy.

Considering the past few months in America’s history, it’s understandable that some people believe that minorities are under attack.

This act, coupled with recent violence in Charlottesville, proves that this is not one isolated legislative conflict, but part of a larger pattern of social and even physical attacks on minorities.

To consider yourself an activist is one thing on paper and in theory. But movements, rallies and marches like the one I attended in D.C can define your advocacy.

The number 790,000, the amount of people once protected by DACA can seem like just a value. On Tuesday, the number turned to human faces, crying mothers and booming passion.

I’ve often described America as an enigma, for its ability to either recognize or ignore those who call it home, and those that know no other home.

One sign I read at the rally read “We have won before. We will win again. We are here to stay.” The quote hung on a banner held by young teenage girls spirited by the love of their families, culture and current home.  

Trump’s decision on the Dreamers program, to me and many others, was not simply an attempt at  immigration control, but a targeted and unnecessary message of hate and disapproval.

If you had asked any of the hundreds marching through the streets of D.C. chanting “Si se puede”, how they were dealing with the news announced minutes before, they’d respond with words of resilience and strength.