Call To Action:

Support the DREAM Act of 2005

CALL YOUR SENATOR AND CONGRESSPERSON and ask them to endorse the DREAM Act of 2005. On November 18, 2005, a bipartisan group of Senators officially introduced S 2075, the DREAM ACT, giving new life to legislation that has been in a holding pattern. Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Richard Durbin (D-IL) introduced the bipartisan Development, Relief, and Education for Minors (DREAM) Act of 2003 (S.1545) on July 31.

In the House, the Student Adjustment Act, H.R. 1684, was introduced on April 9, 2003 by Rep. Chris Cannon (R-UT) along with 15 Democratic and 15 Republican original cosponsors.

Under current law, 50-65,000 students graduate from American high schools each year who have been in the U.S. more than five years but who face limited prospects for completing their education or working legally in the United States because they were originally brought here by parents lacking immigration status. Among those prevented from completing their education are valedictorians, honors students, award winners, class presidents, and student leaders.

Assist Young Students by sending letters to the authorities to clear up the immigration status and address federal barriers to education and work confronted by the U.S.-raised children of parents who are illegal in USA. As these young people deserve a fresh start, both in fairness to them The DREAM Act would address this issue in two ways:

• by deleting a federal provision that interferes with a state’s right to determine which students qualify as “residents” for purposes of in-state tuition or other state education benefits;
• and providing a mechanism for certain long-term resident immigrant students with good moral character to apply for legal residency so that they can work and otherwise fully participate in their communities.

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