Actions | Poverty in America

Ask Your Congressperson to Support the DREAM Act!

To: The President of the United States, The U.S. Senate and The U.S. House

Started by: Prerna Lal

Each year, about 65,000 U.S.-raised students who would qualify for the DREAM Act graduate from high school. These include honor roll students, star athletes, talented artists, homecoming queens, and aspiring teachers, doctors, and U.S. soldiers. They are young people who have lived in the U.S. for most of their lives and desire only to call this country their home. Even though they were brought to the U.S. years ago as children, they face unique barriers to higher education, are unable to work legally in the United States, and often live in constant fear of detection by immigration authorities.

Our immigration laws currently have no mechanism to consider the special equities and circumstances of such students. The DREAM Act would eliminate this flaw. It is un-American to indefinitely and irremediably punish immigrant youth for decisions made by adults many years ago. By enacting the DREAM Act, Congress would legally recognize what is de facto true: these young people belong here. DREAM Act students should be allowed to get on with their lives.

If Congress fails to act this year, another entire class of outstanding, law-abiding high school students will graduate without being able to plan for the future, and some will be removed from their homes to countries they barely know. This tragedy will cause America to lose a vital asset: an educated class of promising immigrant students who have demonstrated a commitment to hard work and a strong desire to be contributing members of our society.

Let's bring these students out of the shadows, out from underground. Tell President Obama and Congress to pass the DREAM Act in 2009. Talented students and their families living in fear of raids and ripped apart by deportations, cannot afford to wait for change.

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Please Co-Sponsor the DREAM Act (S.729 /H.R. 1751)

Dear Member of Congress,

As your constituent, I write to ask you to co-sponsor the DREAM (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) Act which was introduced in the Senate and House on March 26 as S.729 and H.R.1751 respectively. The DREAM Act is a bipartisan proposal, which would create a pathway to citizenship for thousands of young students who were brought to the United States years ago as children. These children have grown up in our communities and include honor roll students, star athletes, talented artists, homecoming queens, and aspiring teachers, doctors, and U.S. soldiers. Even though they were brought to the U.S. years ago as children, they face unique barriers to higher education, are unable to work legally in the U.S., and often live in constant fear of detection by immigration authorities. Our immigration law currently has no mechanism to consider the special equities and circumstances of such students. The DREAM Act would eliminate this flaw. By enacting the DREAM Act, Congress would legally recognize what is de facto true: these young people belong here. If Congress fails to act this year, another entire class of outstanding, law-abiding high school students will graduate without being able to plan for the future, and some will be removed from their homes to countries they barely know. This tragedy will cause America to lose a vital asset: an educated class of promising immigrant students who have demonstrated a commitment to hard work and a strong desire to be contributing members of our society. A more educated workforce which contributes to our tax base is precisely the economic stimulus we need in these hard times. I urge you to cosponsor the DREAM Act by contacting Senators Richard Durbin or Richard Lugar in the Senate or Representatives Howard Berman or Lincoln Diaz-Balart in the House of Representatives.

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Allow my signature to be seen by other community members.

jonathan bertot green river, WY

Sent letter to Barack Obama , Mike Enzi , John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis

about 7 hours ago
Carli Astell Lafayette, IN

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Nov 20
esteven islas rock springs, WY

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Nov 19
Tina Pryor San Francisco, CA

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Nov 18
Amos Lim San Francisco, CA

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Nov 17
Sergey Novikov Rostov-na-Donu. 344029, Russian Federation

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Nov 17
Ingrid Peeters Torremolinos, Spain

Sent letter to Barack Obama and John Kerry

Nov 16
Tammy Zamora Midwest City, OK

Sent letter to Mary Fallin , Barack Obama , Tom Cole , James Inhofe and Tom Coburn

Nov 15
Samantha Treadwell Magnolia, TX

Sent letter to Kevin Brady , Michael McCaul , Barack Obama , Kay Hutchison and John Cornyn

Nov 15
Jennifer Davis-Webb Timmonsville, SC

Sent letter to John Spratt , Jim Clyburn , Barack Obama , Jim DeMint and Lindsey Graham

Nov 14