Voters may get to decide on Maryland Dream Act

Voters might get the final say on whether immigrant students who live in the state illegally, but have graduated high school and paid taxes, would receive in-state tuition at Maryland's colleges.Opponents of a new Maryland law granting in-state tuition rates to immigrant students living in the state illegally said they submitted a portion of the number of signatures required to put the issue on the ballot on Tuesday.

Led by Washington County Republican Delegate Neil Parrott, opponents of the new law had to give the secretary of state at least 18,579 valid signatures Tuesday. That's one-third of the nearly 56,000 signatures they must collect by the end of June to bring the issue to a referendum next year.

“We've exceeded our goal. We're very, very thankful for that and it’s because of the hard work and diligence of people all across the state of Maryland,” Parrott said.

For months this spring, the debate about the issue raged in the Maryland legislature. A compromise was eventually reached and signed by the Governor. It grants a discounted in-state tuition rate at state schools, including College Park, to illegal immigrants who can prove their parents have paid taxes for three years and who first attend two years of community college.

For high school student Anngie Gutierrez, the Dream Act is a dream come true. She was brought to Virginia from Guatemala as a small child and lives in the U.S. illegally. She's also a straight-A student at Bladensburg High School. “Now I have a chance,” Gutierrez said.

University of Maryland student Andy Stiles believes in affordable higher education, but not for immigrants here illegally. “It should be overturned. To get in-state tuition they should be citizens,” Stiles said about the Maryland Dream Act.

Republican Delegate Neil Parrott says the Dream Act is a nightmare. “One, it costs too much money, and the second thing is we have federal immigration laws that are in place and we need to enforce those immigration laws,” Parrott said.

Since April, Parrott, who's from Hagerstown, has been gathering signatures on a petition to stop the Dream Act and put the issue in font of voters on a referendum.

The signatures don't count until the state Board of Elections has validated them, for which it has until June 20. It plans to start posting progress reports on its website Friday.

State House passes Illinois version of DREAM Act for children of immigrants

SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois House passed a state version of the DREAM Act Thursday in a vote hailed by immigration-rights advocates as historic.By a 61-53 vote, the House approved and sent to Gov. Pat Quinn legislation that would set up a state fund that would route privately funded college scholarships to as many as 95,000 children of undocumented immigrants.

Quinn has expressed support for the legislation, whose chief House sponsor was Rep. Edward Acevedo (D-Chicago).The measure, also pushed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Cardinal Francis George, would allow undocumented immigrants ages 18 to 29 with taxpayer-identification cards to invest in the state’s Bright Start and College Illinois programs.“I’m super excited this bill got passed. Illinois is going on a different path,” said Rep. Maria Antonia Berrios (D-Chicago), co-chair of the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus.

Similar legislation on a federal level failed in Congress last year. Passage in Illinois is another example of the growing influence of Illinois’ Latinos, a bloc that grew by nearly 500,000 people since the 2000 Census.“Today’s bipartisan vote in the Illinois House is truly historic,” said Lawrence Benito, deputy director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, which spearheaded passage of the bill. “This vote is a victory for our state and an important step forward in recognizing the contributions of immigrants.”

If Quinn signs the legislation, Benito said Illinois would become the first state to create a private scholarship fund for the children of undocumented Latinos.Only one lawmaker stood during floor debate to oppose the legislation, asking essentially why the state should sanction undocumented residents.

“A lot of people feel they shouldn’t be spending their tax dollars for people who aren’t citizens or people who are trying to become citizens,” said Rep. Robert Pritchard (R-Hinckley), who voted against the measure.But Acevedo insisted that wasn’t the case.“There’s not one tax dollar that goes into this program,” he said.

Durbin reintroduces federal DREAM Act

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) reintroduced the federal DREAM Act on Wednesday to give undocumented students a chance to remain in the United States .The bill would allow students to remain in the U.S. as long as they enter the country before the age of 15, are long-term residents who have stayed for at least five years, show good moral character, graduate from high school or pass a General Educational Development test and complete two years of college or military service.

In a video address posted on Durbin's YouTube channel, he cited the case of a Korean American woman who called his office for help 10 years ago because her daughter had been admitted to the Juilliard School but was undocumented."I didn't think that was right, to punish her for something she hadn't done wrong," Durbin said in the video. "It was just unfair and unjust, so I wrote the DREAM Act."

In a news statement, Durbin said the act would benefit the armed forces and stimulate the economy. It also excludes immigrants ineligible for relief due to criminal histories or national security reasons.The introduction of the act is a step forward, said Stephen Smith, director of organizing for the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. Smith added the bill will not drastically change the work of ICIRR.

"Our job is still to win some relief for these DREAM students but also to win relief from the president for their parents," Smith said. "It can't just be about the DREAM students. It has to also be about the parents and other undocumented families to make sure they are being supported."Durbin held a conference call with ICIRR last week, and Smith said Durbin admitted it will be hard to pass the bill, but he will keep trying.Among the obstacles the bill faces are the economy and Republican opposition, especially from southern border states concerned about illegal immigration, said Joshua Noah, the president of Northwestern University College Democrats.

"In tough economic times, people incorrectly believe that illegal immigrants take, whereas they really help create jobs," the Weinberg sophomore said.U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) said in a news statement that the DREAM Act would not fix the immigration system and represents ignorance of the public's will.

"Over the last year, the Senate Democrat Leaders have introduced five versions of the DREAM Act, each seeking to add billions of dollars to the federal deficit with no committee review," Sessions said last Wednesday. "Today, Senator Durbin and others reintroduced the DREAM Act legislation under those same circumstances, demonstrating that the Democrats are still ignoring the public's plea to secure our border and to establish lawful immigration reform."Although the act does not solve all problems relating to immigration, it has the potential to have a positive impact on universities such as NU, said SESP senior Maria Salazar, a former undocumented immigrant. She said NU's current policy only allows federal financial aid, so the undocumented students currently at NU have to pay for their education on their own completely. This would continue if the federal DREAM Act does not pass. The act does not thoroughly reform the immigration system, she added.

"For me, the overall goal is something like a comprehensive immigration reform that would provide a path to legalization for qualified undocumented immigrants, so I would include families as well, so not just the children," Salazar said. "But I think the students, the organizers, everyone who's working for the federal DREAM Act are also aware of that. I don't think the DREAM Act in itself is viewed as a end-all to immigration reform. I think it's an important step forward."

yenyu2013@u.northwestern.edu

Students march to make DREAM a reality

Nearly fifty DePaul students approached St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church Saturday morning in a unison chant: "Education not deportation! Education not deportation!" Ross Richmond, Student Government Association President, and Pamela Barrientos shouted through megaphones, leading the march.St. Nicholas of Tolentine was the site of the New Americans Rally, an assembly for support of the Illinois DREAM Act, which will be voted on in the Illinois Senate on May 4. The rally was organized by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.Fr. Dennis Holtschneider, president of DePaul University said, "This is a critical point and day because this is when you bring elected officials into the room and they see the support for the legislation they're about to vote on. Today is the final push."

Around a thousand people packed inside the church to support the legislature. Chants erupted in every direction even before the scheduled speakers took the stage to the rhythm of hands-clapping and feet-pounding. Students waved signs that read "America was discovered by immigrants," "One Nation One Dream," and "Somos America." DePaul students, the largest of any college group attending, stood out in the crowd in royal blue T-shirts with "DePaul University Supports the DREAM Act" written on the back in bold white letters.

The rally opened with three prayers, one of which was delivered by Fr. Holtschneider. In the prayer, Holtschneider urged that we try to "see the world through other people's eyes."

Among the rally's speakers were Holtschneider, University of Illinois President Mike Hogan, Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran, Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives Michael Madigan, and Illinois Senate President John Cullerton. U.S. senator Dick Durbin, the chief sponsor of the federal DREAM Act, planned to attend, but canceled due flooding in southern Illinois.

Madigan's address focused on the promise of the American dream.

"If we work together, if we keep our eye on the ball, if we stay focused, then we will fulfill the one nation, one dream platform," Madigan said to the rousing applause of the impassioned congregation.

"If we work together, there will be an Illinois DREAM Act that will be the modern implementation of the promise of America," Madigan said.

Cullerton emphasized the importance of the choice of higher education.

"I'm here to share support for what I believe is nothing more than providing the basic choice for a population of young people here in Illinois," Cullerton said. Cullerton said undocumented children were not give the choice to come to the U.S., but the law still limits their choice and denies them basic opportunities.

Hogan said the Illinois DREAM Act is more than a small step in the right direction for immigration reform and that no student should be denied financial aid because of outdated laws.The Illinois DREAM Act would create private scholarships and open up other financial opportunities for undocumented students, encourage high school counselors to be trained in educational opportunities for immigrant youth, and enable undocumented students to get driver's licenses. The ICIRR estimates 65 percent of youths that would benefit from the act come from households that earn below 200 percent of the poverty line.

Another speaker detailed the horrors her family is currently enduring as her husband is preparing to be deported. Through a translator, she said, "Enough is enough. Stop separating families."

An undocumented high school senior also spoke. The senior has been accepted to three colleges, but can't afford tuition, something the Illinois DREAM Act would like to fix. The senior said the DREAM Act would break down the walls that keep undocumented students from their full potential.

Richmond said, "The rally showed how strong our collective voice can be when we come from all different places in Chicago and support the DREAM Act."

Universities from across Chicago were represented at the New Americans Rally, including DePaul,University of Illinois at Chicago, Northwestern, Loyola, Dominican, Roosevelt, and University of Chicago.Richmond said he was most impressed with the representatives' ability to voice the goals of those in favor of the DREAM Act and make a solid commitment to bring those goals to Springfield for the vote on May 4.

Richmond said, "The Illinois DREAM Act is really important because on a state level it says these people are valuable in our society and we need to allow them to get higher education so they can then be able to contribute back to society." Richmond says the Illinois DREAM Act is important for DePaul because the university's mission is to make higher education accessible and affordable to all students.

"This is a small piece of Illinois doing its part, but it's going to have to be followed by the national DREAM Act or people are still going to be deported," Holtschneider said.The DREAM Act was originally federal legislation, first introduced in 2001 and most recently defeated last December. The federal version would enable undocumented students to earn legal status by earning a two or four year degree from a higher education institution, or by serving in the military for two years. The ICIRR estimates that 95,000 Illinois youth would have benefitted if the DREAM Act had passed in December.

Following the rally, the DePaul students quickly turned their attention to the Illinois Senate vote on May 4. A bus will leave from Lincoln Park and take DePaul students and others to Springfield in the morning on May 4 to continue supporting the Illinois DREAM Act.The rally "brought a lot of solidarity to the movement. I think that a lot of people gained energy and are ready to vote and go down to Springfield on Wednesday," Rachelle Snyder, Kindergarten co-teacher and DePaul alumni said.Sophomore Secondary Education major Nicole Arroyo said, "The energy was really positive, I hope we made an impact and when we go to Springfield on Wednesday that we pass the Illinois DREAM Act."

DePaul's participation in the New Americans Rally was organized by a coalition of DALE, the DePaul Alliance for Latino Empowerment and Student Government Association members. The event was advertised on Facebook. The coalition contacted the DePaul administration for support. Fr. Holtschneider funded the group's T-shirts. The Office of Mission and Values funded the buses that transported the students from Lincoln Park to the church.

Maryland Passes Its DREAM Act

In the final hours of the state’s 2011 legislative season, Maryland made history when it became the twelfth state to pass a law granting undocumented immigrant students the right to pay in-state tuition at the state’s four-year colleges.

The new law, which Gov. Martin O’Malley has pledged to sign, will allow students to be recognized as residents of their home states regardless of their immigration status and pay in-state tuition at Maryland’s public four-year colleges if they clear three hurdles: graduate from a Maryland high school, complete 60 credits at a Maryland community college and prove they and their parents paid income taxes for the prior three years.

On Monday night, the vote hit a last minute snag when it was sent back to a conference committee after the Senate refused to clear new House amendments. Under the House revision, which passed last Friday, undocumented immigrant students will be considered out-of-state applicants during the admissions process. Maryland reserves spots for state residents, which undocumented immigrant students will not be allowed to access. Once accepted and if eligible, undocumented immigrant students can then pay in-state tuition.

The second amendment made it mandatory for undocumented immigrant males to register with the Selective Service in order to take advantage of in-state tuition eligibility. The third, which would have made undocumented immigrant students exempt from showing income tax returns if they had family who were too ill to do so, was what nearly derailed the bill, reported the University of Maryland’s Diamondback Online. At the last minute that amendment was taken out. The bill passed both chambers without one Republican vote.

“It’s about treating high school graduates the same,” State Sen. Victor Ramirez told University of Maryland’s Diamondback Online. Ramirez authored the bill.

“They live in the state of Maryland, they’ve gone through our system and their parents are paying taxes. And they have the grades to be able to go on to further education.”

In Maryland, the law means the difference between $8,416 in tuition that state residents pay and $24,831 that out-of-state students must pay. The economic burden is compounded by the fact that undocumented immigrant students are barred from accessing federal financial aid, grants or loans.

Texas was the first state to pass an in-state tuition bill in 2001. According to the National Conference on State Legislatures, 11 states have passed laws granting undocumented immigrant students the right to pay in-state tuition. Both New Mexico and Texas allow undocumented immigrant students to receive financial aid, and California is considering its own DREAM Act that would allow undocumented immigrant students access to state financial aid.

Supporters Haven’t Given Up Of The Dream Act Yet

Daniella Alulema of the New York State Youth Leadership Council has a degree in accounting, but the Ecuadoran native says she can’t put her education into action because of her immigration status. She says she was looking forward to seeing Congress pass the DREAM Act, which would give undocumented youth education opportunities while on a conditional path to citizenship. Advocates of expanded immigrant rights argue the agency’s actions do not match its rhetoric, particularly over enforcement programs that are meant to target “the worst of the worst.” The key immigration enforcement initiative, a finger-print sharing program called Secure Communities, is supposed to help ICE find undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes and may be a danger to others. But the program also nets a large number of undocumented immigrants who are never convicted of crimes, including women who call the police to report domestic violence or people who are brought in on charges that are later dropped.

New York

Both the Senate and Assembly have versions of a bill that would provide benefits to New York undocumented youth who meet certain criteria. The benefits include access to financial aid for higher education, access to driver’s licenses, work authorization and access to health care. To qualify, the young person would have had to come to the U.S. before age 16, lived here for at least two years and apply for the benefits before they turn 35. Unlike its federal counterpart, the bill would not offer those immigrants a path to legal residency. But it would give some of them certain rights now granted only to legal residents and citizens, including the ability to hold some state jobs — a provision that appears to challenge federal laws that prohibit the hiring of undocumented workers.

Coming Out

Several “Coming Out” events were held in New York, including one at Union Square where 20 Dreamers shared their personal immigration stories. The New York State Youth Leadership Council sponsored the Union Square rally and co-wrote the New York Dream Act with Perkins. After the federal Dream Act failed in Congress in December, supporters of the legislation decided to wage the fight state-by-state, hoping to create momentum for national legislation that will offer a pathway to citizenship, in addition to the provisions included in the state bill.

There's no turning back, We will win.We are winning because ours is a revolution of mind and heart . Cesar Chavez

Napolitano: Unpassed DREAM Act Now the Law

Janet Napolitano, the Homeland Security Secretary, confessed last week that the Obama administration will not deport illegal-alien students who would have fallen under the protection of the failed DREAM Act, the amnesty for illegal aliens that traveled under the name of immigration reform.She made the remarks at a webinar and roundtable on border issues sponsored by NDN, a leftist think tank. The Washington Times reported what she said:

“I will say, and can say, that you know what? They are not, that group, if they truly meet all those criteria, and we see very few of them actually in the immigration system, if they truly meet those [criteria], they’re not the priority,” the secretary said at an event sponsored by NDN, a progressive think tank and advocacy group, on the future of the nation’s border policies.

“The reason we set priorities is so that the focus could be on those in the country who are also committing other illegal acts,” she said.

The practical result of the Obama administration’s policy, as she explained it, is that the DREAM Act is now the law even though Congress did not pass it.

Dream, Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors, would have given illegal-alien students the chance to become citizens if they joined the military or went to college for two years, provided they jumped the border as minors and lived in the country for five years before the act was passed. The act permitted a gradual process of naturalization, but it was, in fact, an amnesty that would have permitted a massive increase in immigration.

John Morton, Napolitano’s subordinate and the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, echoed her remarks, the Times reported. “If you take a look at the record, people that fit within the confines of the Dream Act, there are in fact very, very few deportations of those kinds of individuals,” he said.

Border Not Out of Control

Napolitano also claimed that the border with Mexico is not out of control. “It is simply inaccurate to state, as too many have, that the border with Mexico is overrun or out of control,” she said. “This statement — I think sometimes it’s made to score some political points — but it’s wrong. It’s just plain wrong.”

Napolitano is wrong, according to Richard Stana, the director of homeland security issues at the Government Accountability Office. Indeed, Stana told the Senate Homeland Security on March 30, a week after Napolitano's assertion, that DHS has little to no control over the border.

Stana reported that DHS can stop illegal aliens on less than 150 miles of the border. Across about another 700 miles, it can catch them only after they have crossed.

Stana based his testimony on the Border Patrol’s own assessment.

Said Stana:

Our preliminary analysis of these Border Patrol data showed that the agency reported a capability to deter or detect and apprehend illegal entries at the immediate border across 129 of the 873 southwest border miles and 2 of the 69 northern border miles. Our preliminary analysis also showed that Border Patrol reported the ability to deter or detect and apprehend illegal entries after they crossed the border for an additional 744 southwest border miles and 67 northern border miles.

As we previously observed in December 2010 and February 2011, and through selected updates, Border Patrol determined in fiscal year 2010 that border security was not at an acceptable level of control for 1,120 southwest border miles and 3,918 northern border miles, and that on the northern border there was a significant or high degree of reliance on enforcement support from outside the border zones for detection and apprehension of cross-border illegal activity. For two-thirds of these southwest miles, Border Patrol reported that the probability of detecting illegal activity was high; however, the ability to respond was defined by accessibility to the area or availability of resources. One-fourth of these northern border miles were also reported at this level. The remaining southwest and northern border miles were reported at levels where lack of resources or infrastructure inhibited detection or interdiction of cross-border illegal activity.

The upshot of Napolitano’s remarks is that the Obama administration has declared the entire country a sanctuary for illegals by unilaterally enacting the unpassed DREAM Act. As well, she simply doesn’t know what is going on at the border.

Remarks Nothing New

Napolitano’s remarks about immigration authorities refusing to deport illegal aliens who do not commit violent crime are nothing new.

Federal immigration officials consider illegal aliens who do not commit crimes — additional crimes, after entering the country illegally and working illegally — mere “administrative” cases and is not interested in pursuing them, it says, because it must focus on illegal aliens who belong in jail.

State-by-State Push for a Dream Act

Three states may not be a watershed, but passage in three states of Dream Act-like bills shows a growing momentum for a national bill that would put the children of illegal immigrants on a path to citizenship if they attend college.

Maryland’s Senate recently passed a bill that would allow undocumented students an opportunity to attend state universities and colleges at in-state tuition rates. Should Maryland’s governor sign the legislation it would become one of 11 states in the country, ranging from Kansas to California, that permit this. In California, a bill that would allow undocumented students to compete for state aid and scholarships is under consideration.A New York bill, introduced late last week, takes the legislation further, allowing students who are here illegally but have graduated from high school in New York to access scholarships and financial aid for college, get access to health insurance, obtain driver's licenses, and be able to hold some state jobs.

In an interview with The New York Times, state Sen. Bill Perkins, who introduced the bill, acknowledged that it would be difficult to pass. But I would argue that raising the bill itself and a possible passage could tremendously affect national support and acceptance of a Dream Act. The state-by-state initiative being employed by immigrant and youth groups in New York, California, and Maryland are similar to what the gay-rights community has done with gay marriage. It’s an uphill battle, but each passage of legislation creates a level of acceptance and acknowledgment in the public mind-set.

What could derail this state-by-state goal, however, is the argument made by opponents to the bills that allowing undocumented students to access these rights could put further stress on state budgets and/or put legal citizens and young people in competition for jobs with students who came here illegally. But as many young activists for the Dream Act argue, the United States is the only country they’ve ever known.

Another potential pitfall to this legislation is gubernatorial support. In Connecticut in 2007, the state Legislature narrowly passed a bill allowing undocumented students the right to access in-state tuition fees after a pitched legislative battle. Gov. Jodi Rell, however, took political cover from federal inaction and argued that she couldn’t sign a bill without knowing what the potential federal precedent could be.

In California, a bill that would allow students access to state scholarships and financial aid has been approved and vetoed four times under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, Gov. Jerry Brown has appeared amenable to the passage of a bill. Perkins, the sponsor of New York’s legislation, has said he hasn’t surveyed his colleagues or Gov. Cuomo on support for the bill. However, opponents are already pointing to the political mud pit Gov. Eliot Spitzer fell into by supporting a bill that would have provided driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants.

The lesson in all of this may just be that the push for immigration reform has moved to the state level because of federal inaction, and like other hot-button issues, e.g. gay rights, a patchwork of rights and restrictions will exist until the federal government chooses to act.

Advocates Hope To Revive DREAM Act On State Level

While the DREAM Act was voted down in Congress, some lawmakers are hoping to revive the bill on the state level that would make college life easier for undocumented immigrant students. NY1's Mara Montalbano filed the following report.Daniella Alulema of the New York State Youth Leadership Council has a degree in accounting, but the Ecuadoran native says she can't put her education into action because of her immigration status. She says she was looking forward to seeing Congress pass the DREAM Act, which would give undocumented youth education opportunities while on a conditional path to citizenship.

Alulema says she was disappointed to see it defeated in the Senate."We need to come out of the shadows. We need to be able to live like dignified human beings who have dreams, who have values, and who want to contribute to their society," Alulema said.

She stood with others in her situation and local lawmakers in Harlem Saturday to support a state version of the federal bill.State Senator Bill Perkins introduced the New York State Dream Act which would help undocumented youth get access to state resources like financial aid, a driver's license, and health insurance.

"We're stuck right now and I'm 30. I haven't been able to finish my career. I would like to be a counselor one day. I want to be the counselor that pushes young people to follow their dreams," said Jose Luis Zacatecos of the New York State Youth Leadership Council.While the state bill doesn't help put immigrants on the road to citizenship, it would allow them educational and employment opportunities in the state.

"This is yet another step to fulfill the dream of millions of undocumented immigrants who just want to get a good college education and pay their taxes," said State Senator Adriano Espaillat.Local lawmakers say they do expect to face some challenges, but they say they are confident the bill will be passed.

"The beauty of it is that, like the civil rights movement, it is the fire and the energy and the vision of our young people that have inspired us to take on this piece of legislation," said Perkins. "As controversial as it may be, it nevertheless is a piece of legislation that would make a big big difference."Supporters of the state bill say they hope it will encourage other states to adopt similar legislation to open up more opportunities for young people, even if it isn't on the federal level.

New York DREAM Act Introduced in State Senate

NEW YORK–The youth movement advocating to give young, law-abiding undocumented immigrants a chance to apply for legal status in the U.S. has not been deterred by the failure of the DREAM Act to advance in Congress.

This week, the New York State Youth Leadership Council (NYSYLC), the group leading the charge for the bill in New York, declared a victory. State Senator Bill Perkins (D-30) introduced a version of the DREAM Act in the senate on Tuesday that would bring New York’s undocumented youth many more rights. It is modeled after the federal version, but it would not get them on a path towards citizenship–only the federal government holds that power.

“We’re very excited, this is one of the most progressive bills particularly when we’re surrounded by failure of the federal DREAM Act and other anti-immigrant bills around the country,” said Sonia Guinansaca, 21, a young woman with the NYSYLC who would be affected by the bill.

While continuing to put pressure on members of Congress, young activists around the country have simultaneously been lobbying for more rights for undocumented youth to be granted at the state level. The New York State Dream Act would give undocumented youth under 35 who came to the U.S. before the age of 16 and have resided in New York for at least two years with “good moral character” access to state funded financial aid programs including grants, loans and scholarships (New York is already one of 10 states in the union that grants undocumented immigrants in-state tuition to public colleges); ability to obtain a state drivers’ license; state work authorization; and the ability to enroll in state health insurance programs.

Sen. Perkins told Fi2W that he believes the passage of this bill will benefit the entire state by training future scientists, doctors and teachers who have grown up in America. “These are children who are law abiding participants in our community who are participating in our public schools who need opportunities to fulfill their dreams and contribute to society,” he said.

Perkins is optimistic about the bill’s future in the state legislature. ”I’ve adopted a Haitian phrase, ‘little by little the bird builds it’s nest.’ I’ve already gotten some very positive support in the Senate,” Perkins said, adding that he is also in talks with a potential sponsor in the Assembly.

In-state tuition for undocumented immigrants lies on well-trodden legal ground, said Suman Raghunathan, Immigration Policy Specialist at the Progressive States Network, who is keeping track of similar bills around the country. But she said the work authorization aspect of this bill, similar to what recently passed in Utah, is ”unchartered territory.”

“There is no real legal precedent for the federal government to cede authority to states to determine work authorization,” Raghunathan said.

In a grand sense, for Perkins and other legislative supporters of the bill, the idea is that New York can meet its economic goals while also achieving educational equity. Meanwhile, the youth fighting for the DREAM Act are stepping out of the shadows and “coming out” with their undocumented status publicly.

“We’re making a statement that we are here, undocumented, unafraid, unapologetic and we’re going to work to resolve this issue. That is what this New York State campaign has meant for many of us and we’re not going to give up,” said Guinansaca.

Young immigrants plan DREAM rally Saturday

Young undocumented immigrants are to rally from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday on Independence Mall calling for passage of the DREAM Act, which would allow illegal immigrants, who were brought to the U.S. as children and who fulfill requirements of attending college or serving in the military, the opportunity to gain legal status.

The act was blocked by Republicans in the Senate last year. Advocates, organized by DreamActivist Pennsylvania, will march from the mall, near 5th and Market streets, to the U.S. Custom House, on Chestnut Street near 2nd, where the Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Office of Investigations is housed.

Univ. administrators support state DREAM Act passage

As the university system lobbies legislators on behalf of a bill that would allow undocumented students to receive in-state tuition at four-year state colleges and universities, this university has taken a quieter, but favorable, position.University President Wallace Loh, who immigrated to this country from Peru, said passage of the bill would benefit the economy as a whole. And university lobbyist Ross Stern, whose attention is primarily focused on budget matters, said he would encourage students to lobby their representatives in the House of Delegates as the bill comes to a vote there.

"If you have students who are able to gain admission ... and if you don't give them an opportunity to have higher education, then what will they be doing, flipping hamburgers?" Loh asked. "That doesn't help the economy of the state. We want more college graduates who can go on and contribute in productive ways to the state's economy. In the long run, it does not make economic sense to turn away qualified students."After its successful vote in the state Senate on Monday, the bill is moving through the House; its Ways and Means Committee reviewed the legislation Tuesday. If signed into law, the legislation, which has earned the title of this state's Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, would grant students who have graduated from a state high school, completed 60 credits at a community college and paid state income taxes for at least three years the opportunity to receive in-state tuition at four-year state institutions. Those students who receive in-state tuition must also apply for permanent residency within 30 days of enrollment at an institution of higher education.

Opponents of the bill have argue that the state simply does not have the money to offer these students reduced tuition — the basis for many opposing votes in the Senate — and that admitting undocumented students as in-state residents would take away spots from U.S. citizens. But Stern said increasing competition would likely have a positive effect on the university's national rankings."I think expanding the pool of eligible Maryland residents can only be a good thing," Stern said. "Increased diversity and an increased pool of good students is a good thing for the university — not just for us, but for all the universities and the state as a whole."State Sen. Jim Rosapepe (D-Prince George's), who voted for the bill, added that students who would be affected by this proposal are already academically qualified, but high tuition rates often prevent them from attending state universities.

"The better students you get, the better university you are, and the problem is that they can't come to the University of Maryland right now — it's just that too many of them are priced out of the market," Rosapepe said. "It's kind of an inconsistent policy to say they can come to the University of Maryland, but they have to pay triple the tuition. It doesn't seem fair, and it just doesn't make sense. We want the best students to come to the best campus."

Stern also said since these students must pay state taxes and have already attended at least high school in this state — K-12 schools must provide education to all students regardless of immigration status, according to U.S. Supreme Court mandate — the state should want to capitalize on their investment.

"If the state is going to go through the expense and the effort to educate children, it makes sense that they have access to higher education as well," he said. "The state is better served by offering educational opportunities to its high-school graduates, and that investment is worth making."Loh said he attributes all of his successes to the educational opportunities he was able to receive in the United States.

"I came here legally, but that totally aside, what I have today is because of the opportunities that this nation provided," he said. "It is a passport to social and economic opportunity. We have a very large proportion of Hispanics in our state and in our nation. Many of them are undocumented, and they've been living here since they were children. ... To say we're not going to allow you to come in with resident tuition is in effect slamming the door of opportunity to them."Rosapepe noted that the nation is primarily made up of immigrants  including his father, who was an Italian immigrant  and said it is part of the nation's history to offer equal opportunities to all.

"I think most people recognize that America is a nation of immigrants and that very few of us would be here if our parents or grandparents hadn't come from some place else," he said. "Many people come here for better opportunities."Although no date has yet been set for a House vote on the issue, many question whether the bill will make its way to the chamber's floor before the end of the legislative session.

CALIFORNIA DREAM ACT MOVES TO ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

Despite California facing deep cuts to its education budget, the state assembly's Higher Education Committee has decided to advance the California Dream Act to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.On Tuesday, committee members voted 6-2 and 5-2 to allow illegal immigrants to access institutional and state financial aid with passage of AB 130 and AB 131, the Daily Californian-reported. In addition, AB 131 does not reduce the amount of Cal Grant money available to legal students.  As expected, the committee vote went along party lines as two of the sitting Republicans voted against the measures:  Tim Donnelly (R-Twin Peaks) and Katcho Achadijian (R-San Luis Obispo). 

If the measures pass in the Appropriations Committee, not only will they likely pass the Democratic-controlled legislature, but they will also likely be signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown aspreviously indicated. At stake is the fact that, while opening the door for those brought here by no choice of their own, these bills will also cause more economic uncertainty for California's taxpayers.

While the committee did ensure that the same Cal Grant amount is available to legal students, legislators and activists in favor of the California Dream Act are forced to reconcile the projected $500 million in education budget cuts with welcoming illegal immigrant students to partake of the benefits offered by the state's higher education system.  Legislators supporting AB 130 must be held accountable for the loss of revenue that will result from illegal immigrant students being able to apply for the Board of Governors Fee Waiver in the state's community colleges. The same goes for supporting AB 131, which makes illegal immigrants eligible for the Cal Grants set aside for state residents who enroll in higher education in the golden state. These costs will need to at least be considered by the Appropriations Committee in May.

When the Act reaches his desk, the governor must also communicate to California's taxpayers how these goals are realistically feasible during California's financial crunch. While voters may have pulled for the Democratic governor and legislature in the past election, some did so with the understanding that the governor would provide some effective solutions to the state's severe budget problems.

Aside from the possible budgetary impact that the legislation will have, it also leaves the question of citizenship of those illegally residing in California unresolved. As the state continues to struggle on the fiscal side, education investments in California's illegal immigrant students, subsidized by taxpayers, are of no benefit if those same students at the end of the day are still not U.S. citizens. Granting citizenship is a federal responsibility.

In what will undoubtedly have national implications down the road, the California Dream Act seems as if it's a bigger gamble than investment given that the Obama administration has failed to come through on comprehensive reform. California's economy will remain weak if those very immigrant students are held back from contributing their skills to the workforce as a result of their illegal status.

State Committee Passes New Version of DREAM Act

Though former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the California DREAM Act three times, a state assembly committee voted Tuesday to pass a new version of the legislation, which will now be reviewed by another committee before potentially being introduced to the entire Assembly.

The Assembly Committee on Higher Education passed Assembly Bills 130 and 131 - authored by Assemblymember Gilbert Cedillo, D-Los Angeles - in a 6-2 and 5-2 vote respectively. If enacted into law, the bills would expand institutional and state financial aid to undocumented students in California respectively.

Only Assemblymembers Tim Donnelly, R-Twin Peaks, and Katcho Achadjian, R-San Luis Obispo, voted against the act.

"I believe that this bill undermines the rule of law, and it opens up the treasury to people through no fault of their own, granted, are not supposed to be in this state," Donnelly said at the committee meeting.

Opponents of the act have argued that the act would create an incentive for illegal immigration.

Gov. Jerry Brown has stated that should the legislation come to his desk, he would support it.

Nonresident students that meet certain requirements already qualify for in-state tuition fees by meeting requirements in AB 540, including that students must have attended a California high school for three years and graduate, among other requirements.

However, any of these students that are undocumented cannot receive university or state aid, according to David Alcocer, associate director of student financial support at the UC Office of the President.

Assemblymember Marty Block, D-San Diego, said in an e-mail that he voted in favor of the bills because he believes "it critical that students who reside in the state get educational opportunities so they can contribute to California's economy as productive tax-paying workers."

At the committee meeting, UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau testified on behalf of AB 130.

The overall content of the current act reflects the previous version, however, AB 131 has been edited to ensure that Cal Grants will not be reduced for students that are legal residents, according to Conrado Terrazas, communications deputy for Cedillo.

Alcocer said that he estimated about 75 percent of undocumented students would receive $4 million of financial aid under AB 130, and 50 percent of them would be eligible for Cal Grants up to about $3 million under AB 131.

Additionally, some 500 documented students that are eligible under AB 540 would benefit if the bills were to pass. Some students that do not meet state residency requirements and are considered out-of-state students, though they attended high school in California, would be eligible for Cal Grants.

"We've already invested in our children in our K-12 system," said Adam Keigwin, chief of staff for Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco/San Mateo, who co-authored the bills. "To  shut the door on their ability to go to college after that investment doesn't serve our state well, doesn't serve our communities well."

Both bills will be reviewed by the Assembly Committee on Appropriations in May, though a final date has not yet been set, according to Terrazas.