 Dear Friends,
The Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors Act, known commonly as the DREAM Act, passed in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday, December 8, but has not yet been voted upon in the Senate. We at Watson Law Offices are asking you to call your Senators and demand that they pass this important and humane piece of legislation.
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What is the DREAM Act?
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 The DREAM Act is a bill that would provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants that were brought to the U.S. as minors, have completed high school and are of good moral character. These undocumented students would earn legal standing through military service or attending college. If found eligible, they would be allowed ten years of conditional nonimmigrant status, after which they would be allowed to apply for permanent residency (green cards) and eventually citizenship.
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Why is the DREAM Act a good idea?
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 The children covered under the DREAM Act did not break U.S. immigration law of their own accord. It is deeply unfair to punish them for their parents' actions, either by deporting them to countries that they did not grow up in, or by preventing them from lawfully working in the United States.
The DREAM Act would give these young people the opportunity to give back to the U.S. economically, decreasing the budget deficit by $2.2 billion over 10 years. The Department of Defense supports the Act as a key means of maintaining a quality, patriotic all-volunteer force. Scholars who study immigration and its effects warn that we cannot afford not to pass it, and the American Immigration Lawyer's Association stands solidly behind the bill.
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| What can I do? | |
Write to or call your Senators and ask them to support this humane and sensible bill!
The DREAM Act will likely be voted upon in the Senate in the upcoming week. Opposition in the Senate looks stiffer than it was in the House, so it is extremely important that Senators hear from us. Let them know that we want fair, smart and altruistic legislation that benefits everybody, not partisan bickering and political grandstanding.
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