WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, hundreds of young people from across the nation arrived on Capitol Hill to express their support for the DREAM Act.
Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization who strongly supports the DREAM Act, issued the following statement:
“The DREAM Act provides children brought to the United States as minors with an opportunity to achieve the American Dream. This groundbreaking legislation allows students to acquire legal status and pursue a college degree, giving innocent children hope for a meaningful life that is no longer held captive by our country’s broken immigration system. In short, DREAM is an important motivation for this population to stay in school and support this country.
“A majority of the children affected by this legislation know nothing but American language and American culture. Many were brought to the United States as babies by their parents, and most have spent the majority of their lives living as Americans. Sadly, they are unable to pursue higher education because of the enormous barriers created by their lack of legal status. The DREAM Act is a modest sensible solution that helps these children make contributions to our nation, the country they consider their home. |
“The DREAM Act offers young, talented students an avenue to acquire legal status and pursue a college degree. And it is narrowly tailored, applying only to children brought to the U.S. at least five years ago who have remained in school and out of trouble. Encouraging and allowing these motivated, hardworking students to enhance their education will have enormous benefits for these students and our nation overall.”