President Obama met with Senator Robert Menendez and Representatives Luis Gutierrez and Nydia Velasquez last week to determine the best way to move forward on Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR). The President urged the leaders of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to restore the bipartisan coalition that has worked for CIR in the past.
Leadership in the House and Senate announced that they intend to introduce the DREAM Act before the New Year. Congressional Leadership will determine in the upcoming weeks whether or not there are enough votes to pass the DREAM Act. Despite the current political climate, the DREAM Act has historically enjoyed bipartisan support: eligible voters (66%), Democrats (81%), independents (60%), and Republicans (57%) alike. Leaders in education, the military, business, and religious orders all support the DREAM Act as well.
The goal of the Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors (DREAM) Act is to provide eligible undocumented immigrant youths with an opportunity to pursue a higher education or serve in the military, providing them with a path to conditional permanent residency that would otherwise be unavailable to them.
Under the new DREAM Act, immigrant youths would have to meet these requirements to qualify:
must be between the ages of 12 and 35 at the time the law is enacted
must have arrived in the United States before the age of 16
must have lived in the United States for five consecutive years since their arrival
must have graduated from a United States high school or have obtained a GED
must have “Good Moral Character”
Contact your United States Senators and Representative today and urge them to vote for the DREAM Act! This may be our last chance to pass the DREAM Act for a long time; we can’t afford to pass this opportunity!
Click on this link to help you contact your elected officials.
At UCLA Rosario Dawson explained why she’s so passionate about the DREAM Act and why we all need to get out there and vote:
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