ACLU Letter to the Senate in Support of the DREAM Act

Bill Would Provide Equal Protection And Fairness For All Students Regardless Of Immigration Status FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: (202) 675-2312; media@dcaclu.org WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union today urged members of Congress to vote in support of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act (S. 3992), a bill that promotes fundamental fairness in access to higher education for all high school students, regardless of immigration status. On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) filed a cloture petition on S. 3992 that could set the cloture vote for as early as Wednesday. A House floor vote on the DREAM Act is expected to take place Wednesday. The DREAM Act would provide affordable post-secondary education and military service opportunities for undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children, have lived here for at least five years and have graduated from high school. DREAM has the support of President Obama, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and former Secretary of State Colin Powell. In urging the U.S. Congress to pass the DREAM Act, the ACLU is also urging Congress to not pass any amendments or motions that would weaken due process or civil liberties. "The DREAM Act is absolutely crucial to ensuring that all young people in the United States, regardless of their immigration status, can achieve their educational and vocational goals," said Joanne Lin, ACLU Legislative Counsel. "The students who stand to benefit from this bill are talented, motivated young adults who have gained admission to college, overcoming many obstacles. Providing these students with the opportunity to pursue a better future for themselves and their families is a quintessentially American gesture and would be a tribute to American values of fairness and equal opportunity." A letter from the ACLU to the U.S. Senate in support of the DREAM Act is available at: www.aclu.org/immigrants-rights/aclu-letter-senate-support-dream-act