Entertainment

Britney Spears Stands With Dreamers In A Post That'll Make Fans Proud

by Sabienna Bowman
Mike Windle/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images; Britney Spears/Twitter

In case you needed another reason to be proud that you're a fan of the queen of '90s pop, Britney Spears showed her support for Dreamers in an Instagram post on Friday, Dec. 22. Dreamers are undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children, and they are currently under threat of deportation due to the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The program was put into place by President Obama after the DREAM Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) failed to pass through Congress. Now Dreamers are calling on Congress to pass the DREAM Act in order to provide a way for the estimated 800,000 undocumented citizens to stay in the country, and Spears appears to be eager to help their cause.

The "Toxic" singer shared a photo of herself wearing a shirt that says "We Are All Dreamers." Spears captioned the image, "We are all Dreamers. Tell Congress to pass the #DreamAct." And she shared a link to the Emerson Collective, a site that offers tips on how you can spread the word about Dreamers and their plight this holiday season.

A number of celebrities have spoken out about the need to help Dreamers stay in the U.S. — including Kim Kardashian West, Ava DuVernay, and Lin-Manuel Miranda — but seeing Spears share her support helps illustrate just how important this issue is. Spears rarely ever makes political statements, but even she refuses to stay silent when it comes to protecting immigrants whose entire lives could be uprooted if Congress doesn't take action soon.

Since her 2003 interview with CNN where she shared her support of George W. Bush, Spears has largely focused on music and left political activism to other celebrities. In 2016, she met with Hillary Clinton in Las Vegas, and shared a photo with the presidential nominee on her Instagram. Spears captioned the photo,

"Being in Vegas for #PieceOfMe is amazing for so many reasons... Especially today... because I had the incredible opportunity to meet @HillaryClinton!! Such an inspiration and beautiful voice for women around the world!!! This woman had an intense presence and I felt very honored to meet her!!!"

The "...Baby One more Time" singer didn't openly declare support for Clinton (or any other candidate), but her caption seemed to make it clear that she has major respect for the politician. Since then, Spears has returned to keeping quiet on political matters. At least until now.

Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Seeing Spears take a stand when it comes to Dreamers is inspiring. Whether or not you consider yourself a politically active person, this is an issue that goes far beyond traditional political debates. Advocating for the DREAM Act is about standing with immigrants who were raised in the U.S., and who are under threat of deportation as soon as March if Congress doesn't do something. These people are your neighbors and fellow citizens, and inaction isn't an option. Many Dreamers have spent the majority of their lives in the U.S., which makes this country their home.

There's no denying that Spears has a large platform thanks to her music career. While you could argue that she should be using that platform to advocate for political causes more often, her support of Dreamers is still admirable, and it definitely shouldn't be ignored. Hopefully, Spears' message will help spread the word about Dreamers to people who otherwise may not have heard about the DREAM Act or the repercussions of the government not acting on this issue.

No matter what, it's wonderful to see Spears using her voice to speak out for a cause she believes in by showing that she too stands with Dreamers.