Brown University
March 13 - 14 2026
A National Gathering for immigrant leaders & Dreamers
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The conference will bring together 200+ college students and immigration leaders from 25+ universities nationwide, including every Ivy League institution. Over two days of keynotes and workshops, attendees will connect, learn, and build the cross-campus solidarity our communities need more than ever.
YTBF is a spiritual successor to the CAIR Conference, which ran across U.S. campuses through much of the 2010s. After Tufts hosted the last virtual gathering, a real gap in immigrant-rights student dialogue remained—so planning began in February 2025 for the 2026 Yearning to Breathe Free Conference.
Represented Universities
25+
25+ (All the Ivies, USC, Wesleyan, UCLA, UChicago, Northeastern, Stanford, etc.)
Attendees
200+
Undocumented+, First-gen, and immigrant college students from across the country.
Confirmed Speakers
15+
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu Che Guerrero UCLA Dream Resource Center Director Ju Hong UndocuBlack Network Co-Founder Jonathan Jayes Green ...and more.
Media & Visibility
6+
Media partnerships with top national immigration organizations.
Programming Days
2
2 days of keynotes, workshops, career and resource fair, and networking.
The Brown Dream Team (BDT) began in 2022 as a student-led effort to support and advocate for undocu+ students at Brown, RISD, and in the Providence community.
We aim to build a safe, affirming space—and to elevate undocu+ voices in the fight for immigration justice.
Our work is shaped by the legacy of the Brown Immigrant Rights Coalition (BIRC), founded in 2009, and by the leadership of undocumented+ trailblazers Tam Tran, Cynthia Felix, and Maryori Conde.
She founded Brown’s Immigrants’ Rights Coalition (BIRC) in 2008 and advocated tirelessly for undocumented immigrant youth. CASO now sponsors a scholarship in her honor for undocumented students in Rhode Island.
She was a passionate advocate for undocumented students. Felix Perez and Tran co-founded Improving Dreams, Equality, Access and Success (IDEAS) at UCLA, which still supports undocumented students today. She also became Columbia University’s first undocumented student in 2008 while pursuing a Ph.D. in Public Health.
She was a beloved BIRC member, founded CAUSA, and helped create the Latinx House. While pursuing a teaching master’s and hoping to serve marginalized students, she became a lasting part of BIRC’s work and community.
a national gathering for immagrant advocates and dreamers
Spring 2015 – First-Gens@Brown drafts a proposal for a First-Gen Center, including undocumented student needs.
September 2016 – The First-Generation College and Low-Income Student Center (FLi Center) officially opens
September 2016 – Brown formally recognizes undocumented & DACA students as domestic applicants.
November 2016 - After Trump’s first presidential win, 400+ students descended onto the Main Green in a walkout titled “OurCampus”.
April 2017 - Brown launched Undocumented Student Initiative to institutionalize support for undocumented students.
April 2017 – Julio Reyes ’12 becomes inaugural Program Director of the FLi Center, strengthening support structures for undocumented students. To date, the U-FLi Center now has three full-time staff members.
February 2019 – The FLi Center changed its name to the Undocumented+, First-generation, Low-income Center after U-FLi students overwhelmingly supported the addition of the Undocumented+ name, a symbolic and tangible result from student advocacy.
The brown dream team
Abigail Orozco
Axel Martinez
C.P.
D.F.
J.L.
J.M.
Keidy Ramirez
G.H.
why partner with us?
Support visibility and equity in higher education for historically excluded students.
Align yourself with one of the most high-profile student immigrant justice events of the past decade.
Reach 200+ emerging immigrant leaders from top campuses across the country.
Gain visibility across all conference materials, media coverage, and programming.
Be part of the undocumented student movement at a time of distress and alienation.
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