Opportunity to Take Action on the DREAM Act

Below is a message emailed to all NASPA members that we'd like to share with our LKC members:

If you attended the 2012 NASPA Annual Conference, you may have seen NASPA's petition calling for the passage of the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act.
While we know not all members support the DREAM Act for various reasons, as an important piece of legislation that NASPA has long supported, we wanted to provide education on the issue and a way for members to participate in advocacy. This bipartisan bill would create a pathway to permanent residency* for undocumented young adults who were brought to the United States as children if they pursue higher education or military service.

In the first two days of the conference, volunteers gathered more than 400 signatures. Now, we need your help to get more support for passing the DREAM Act. Here's what you can do:
If you haven't already, sign the petition.

Post the petition link online through Facebook, Twitter, etc., encouraging your friends, colleagues, fans, and followers to support the DREAM Act.

Forward this blog entry to other student affairs colleagues on your campus.

Contact your Senators and Representative to express your support for the DREAM Act.

With the 2012 election shaping up, it is important for us to make sure all Presidential candidates know how important the DREAM Act is to higher education access and equity. Throughout the month of April, NASPA members and leaders will be engaging their campuses and communities to educate on the importance of the DREAM Act and gain support for its passage. For more information on the DREAM Act, reasons for NASPA's support, and links to other resources, please visit http://www.naspa.org/divctr/pp/dream.cfm.

Sincerely,
Kevin KrugerPresident
Rebecca MillsChair, NASPA Public Policy Division

*The legislation would provide conditional permanent residency to certain undocumented students who graduate from U.S. high schools, arrived in the United States as minors, and lived in the country continuously for at least five years prior to the bill's enactment. If they complete two years in the military or two years at a four-year institution of higher learning, they would obtain temporary residency for a six-year period. Within the six-year period, they may qualify for permanent residency if they have "acquired a degree from an institution of higher education in the United States or has completed at least two years, in good standing, in a program for a bachelor's degree or higher degree in the United States."

National Immigration Law Center's Five Things You Should Know About the DREAM Act:
The DREAM Act rewards success by providing relief to a limited number of immigrants.
The DREAM Act helps high-achieving immigrant youth that came to the United States as small children.
The DREAM Act provides for a rigorous application process for deserving youth and does not provide safe harbor or amnesty for criminals.
The DREAM Act would not change current law regarding in-state tuition. The DREAM Act is a much-needed bill that rewards success and encourages economic productivity.