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Hi Everyone
See this announcement below...it is important we make our voices be heard.
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Caribbean-American family, the DREAM Act is close to passage. It is time to ACTIVATE, ADVOCATE, and AGITATE.
The US Senate will be voting on the DREAM Act this week (possibly today at 11am). It is time to pick up the phone for your US Senator and voice your support for the Bill (Senate Bill S.729). Phone numbers are listed at: http://www.senate.gov/general/contac...nators_cfm.cfm
For the Caribbean community, the following states refer to areas of your largest concentration: New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and California.
<span style="font-weight: bold">DREAM Act Facts </span>
Reference Checks:
- http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/dream-act
- http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-me...cks-dream-act/
The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act (The "DREAM Act"
is a piece of proposed federal legislation in the United States that was first introduced in the United States Senate on August 1, 2001 and most recently re-introduced there and the United States House of Representatives on March 26, 2009. This bill would provide certain illegal and deportable alien students who graduate from US high schools, who are of good moral character, arrived in the U.S. illegally as minors, and have been in the country continuously and illegally for at least five years prior to the bill's enactment, the opportunity to earn conditional permanent residency if they complete two years in the military or two years at a four year institution of higher learning. The students would obtain temporary residency for a six year period. Within the six year period, a qualified student must have "acquired a degree from an institution of higher education in the United States or [have] completed at least 2 years, in good standing, in a program for a bachelor's degree or higher degree in the United States," or have "served in the uniformed services for at least 2 years and, if discharged, [have] received an honorable discharge." Military enlistment contracts require an eight year commitment, with active duty commitments typically between four and six years, but as low as two years. "Any alien whose permanent resident status is terminated [according to the terms of the Act] shall return to the immigration status the alien had immediately prior to receiving conditional permanent resident status under this Act."
- The DREAM Act is intended to prevent young people from being punished for the actions of their parents, giving them the opportunity to obtain legal status by pursuing a higher education or by serving in the American armed forces – for the country they grew up in and embrace as their own.
- The DREAM Act has long been supported by Democratic as well as Republican leaders. In fact, the Senate Judiciary Committee has twice approved the legislation with support from Senators of both parties, and it passed the full Senate in 2006 as part of comprehensive immigration reform legislation that was supported by 11 Senate Republicans still serving today. There is absolutely no reason why it shouldn’t receive that same kind of bipartisan support today.
- In fact, the DREAM Act was first authored by Republicans nearly a decade ago. So now that Senate Majority Leader Reid is moving the DREAM Act forward as a stand-alone bill, Republicans should have no reason to oppose it – particularly the seven Republicans who have voted for it in the past.
- President Obama is a long-time supporter of the DREAM Act and was a co-sponsor of that legislation when he was in the Senate, and a number of Cabinet Members and Administration officials have stepped forward to talk about how America would benefit from the passage of the DREAM Act.
- The American military supports the DREAM Act, and the DREAM Act is a part of the Department of Defense’s 2010-2012 Strategic Plan to strengthen the military’s recruiting efforts.
- Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has said the DREAM Act can play an key role in the Administration’s efforts to ensure America has the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020, making the United States more globally competitive.
- Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano has said the DREAM Act offers a firm but fair way to deal with innocent children who were brought to the U.S. at a young age, so that we can better focus on detaining and deporting criminals and others who immigrate illegally and pose a threat to America.
- This Obama Administration is doing whatever is necessary to get the Congressional leadership support necessary to pass this bill. Because passing the DREAM Act is simply the right thing to do.
- But comprehensive immigration reform remains a critical necessity if we want to fix America’s broken immigration system. So President Obama will continue to urge broader reform that sends lasting and dedicated resources to the American border, but also restores responsibility and accountability to our broken immigration system.
See this announcement below...it is important we make our voices be heard.
----------------
Caribbean-American family, the DREAM Act is close to passage. It is time to ACTIVATE, ADVOCATE, and AGITATE.
The US Senate will be voting on the DREAM Act this week (possibly today at 11am). It is time to pick up the phone for your US Senator and voice your support for the Bill (Senate Bill S.729). Phone numbers are listed at: http://www.senate.gov/general/contac...nators_cfm.cfm
For the Caribbean community, the following states refer to areas of your largest concentration: New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and California.
<span style="font-weight: bold">DREAM Act Facts </span>
Reference Checks:
- http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/dream-act
- http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-me...cks-dream-act/
The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act (The "DREAM Act"
is a piece of proposed federal legislation in the United States that was first introduced in the United States Senate on August 1, 2001 and most recently re-introduced there and the United States House of Representatives on March 26, 2009. This bill would provide certain illegal and deportable alien students who graduate from US high schools, who are of good moral character, arrived in the U.S. illegally as minors, and have been in the country continuously and illegally for at least five years prior to the bill's enactment, the opportunity to earn conditional permanent residency if they complete two years in the military or two years at a four year institution of higher learning. The students would obtain temporary residency for a six year period. Within the six year period, a qualified student must have "acquired a degree from an institution of higher education in the United States or [have] completed at least 2 years, in good standing, in a program for a bachelor's degree or higher degree in the United States," or have "served in the uniformed services for at least 2 years and, if discharged, [have] received an honorable discharge." Military enlistment contracts require an eight year commitment, with active duty commitments typically between four and six years, but as low as two years. "Any alien whose permanent resident status is terminated [according to the terms of the Act] shall return to the immigration status the alien had immediately prior to receiving conditional permanent resident status under this Act." - The DREAM Act is intended to prevent young people from being punished for the actions of their parents, giving them the opportunity to obtain legal status by pursuing a higher education or by serving in the American armed forces – for the country they grew up in and embrace as their own.
- The DREAM Act has long been supported by Democratic as well as Republican leaders. In fact, the Senate Judiciary Committee has twice approved the legislation with support from Senators of both parties, and it passed the full Senate in 2006 as part of comprehensive immigration reform legislation that was supported by 11 Senate Republicans still serving today. There is absolutely no reason why it shouldn’t receive that same kind of bipartisan support today.
- In fact, the DREAM Act was first authored by Republicans nearly a decade ago. So now that Senate Majority Leader Reid is moving the DREAM Act forward as a stand-alone bill, Republicans should have no reason to oppose it – particularly the seven Republicans who have voted for it in the past.
- President Obama is a long-time supporter of the DREAM Act and was a co-sponsor of that legislation when he was in the Senate, and a number of Cabinet Members and Administration officials have stepped forward to talk about how America would benefit from the passage of the DREAM Act.
- The American military supports the DREAM Act, and the DREAM Act is a part of the Department of Defense’s 2010-2012 Strategic Plan to strengthen the military’s recruiting efforts.
- Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has said the DREAM Act can play an key role in the Administration’s efforts to ensure America has the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020, making the United States more globally competitive.
- Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano has said the DREAM Act offers a firm but fair way to deal with innocent children who were brought to the U.S. at a young age, so that we can better focus on detaining and deporting criminals and others who immigrate illegally and pose a threat to America.
- This Obama Administration is doing whatever is necessary to get the Congressional leadership support necessary to pass this bill. Because passing the DREAM Act is simply the right thing to do.
- But comprehensive immigration reform remains a critical necessity if we want to fix America’s broken immigration system. So President Obama will continue to urge broader reform that sends lasting and dedicated resources to the American border, but also restores responsibility and accountability to our broken immigration system.
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