The DREAM Act Amendment
September 20, 2007

This week U.S. Senators Durbin (D-IL), Hagel (R-NE) and Lugar (R-IN) will offer the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act as an amendment to the Department of Defense FY 2008 authorization bill (H.R. 1585) that is being debated in the Senate at this time.

As many of you know, the DREAM Act would create a 6-year path to legal status, starting after high school, for young people who were brought to the U.S. as undocumented children and have stayed in school. The student would need to complete 2 years towards a 4-year degree, complete 2 years of community college, or serve at least 2 years in the U.S. military within the 6-year period to qualify for immigration relief. For more information on the DREAM Act, click here.

Each year, approximately 65,000 U.S.-raised undocumented students graduate from high school -- the DREAM Act could help many of these hard-working immigrant students realize their full potential. We know that many activists will be dismayed to learn that the DREAM Act will be attached to this particular bill (H.R. 1585). However, we also know that the DREAM Act would be life-changing for thousands of immigrant students, such as Christian, an undocumented student in Long Island interviewed for NPR, who puts it:

"The difference between me and most of my friends is that four years from now, they'll be getting ready to go to college, they could become firemen, astronauts, mechanics, anything they want. But when I turn eighteen, I'll either have to go back to Mexico and start all over, or hide for the rest of my life, living debajo de la raya, under the line, underground" (Hear the rest of Christian's story here).

We urge you to contact both of your Senators as soon as possible by calling the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and telling them:

"Please vote for the DREAM Act Amendment to H.R. 1585 so that immigrant students brought here as children can realize their full potential."

Every phone call counts! We can be sure that Congress has already begun hearing from their anti-immigrant constituents, so it is key that they hear from the rest of us! Please call your Senators and tell them you support the DREAM Act!