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Senators Durbin, Feinstein, Gillibrand, and Harris, Along with Representatives Pelosi, Crowley, Chu, and Espaillat Joined University Presidents and Chancellors in Calling for Passage of the Dream Act
Speakers shared stories of Dreamers and their contributions to college campuses across the country
A recording of the press conference is available here
Washington, D.C. – Today, Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Chair of the House Democratic Caucus Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY), Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA), Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), and Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) stood alongside university professors and chancellors, as well as Dreamers, to highlight the urgent need for Congress to pass the Dream Act. Speakers demanded that Congress act to protect thousands of Dreamers, many of whom are attending institutions for higher education.
“It’s easy for adults to look back and chuckle at the things that were scary, or hard, or uncomfortable when we were in school. A pop quiz we weren’t prepared for, or maybe we didn’t make the track team, or getting picked on by the older kids. But imagine being a kid afraid you would get deported at any moment – to have that hanging over you would make it incredibly hard to focus on your studies. Well, that is the reality for hundreds of thousands of young Dreamers, and one reason that Congress must pass the Dream Act now,” said Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL)
“We are all grateful for the leadership of the academic community to protect our DREAMers,” said Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). “Together, we must urgently pass the DREAM Act to defend the DREAMers who are an inspiration to us all. We continue to be moved by the grace, dignity and courage of these young men and women who are American in every way.”
“DACA students are an integral a part of the U.C. community. They’re studying to become doctors, teachers and lawyers. They’re giving back to their communities and helping their fellow students succeed. They’re what America is all about. The DREAM Act, which would provide these young people with a path to citizenship, is one of the most important things we can get done this year,” said Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).
“DREAMers substantially contribute to their communities each and every day, and nowhere is that more true than on our country’s college campuses where DREAMers are students, leaders, and advocates,” said House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley (D-NY). “I was proud to join my fellow congressional Democrats and education leaders to push for a solution to shield these young men and women from the vicious policies of the Trump administration.”
“DREAMers are leaders, teachers, innovators, and scientists. We must do everything we can to protect our DREAMers from being deported, and to protect them from being targeted and marginalized,” said U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). “We need to stand up for our DREAMers and keep fighting in the Senate to finally pass the bipartisan DREAM Act.”
Representative Judy Chu (D-CA) said, “Immigrants seeking a higher education are doing exactly what we would ask of any immigrant. And I’m incredibly proud of the Dreamers who are looking to find new ways to contribute to our country. With thousands of undocumented students from Mexico, Korea, India, Pakistan, and elsewhere, the UC system is a shining example of the value of DACA and why we must fight to protect it. It’s time to do the right thing – the thing supported by a bipartisan majority in Congress and across the country – and pass the DREAM Act today.”
Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) said, “So right now we are at a moment in time where we have got to understand that this is something we cannot play politics with, when we have hundreds of thousands of young people who are terrified because we have not been able to keep our word. That tells us all we’ve got some work to do. And I’m very proud to stand with my colleagues and our great educational institutions to say that we are committed and we are joined in standing with these DACA young people and standing for them in the fight to make sure that we do the right thing.”
“President Trump’s decision to undercut the stability, hope and opportunity that the DACA program offered to millions of young people strikes at the core of our shared American values,” said Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY). “Lives are at stake and it is critical that we work to find a solution to our broken immigration system. We must act quickly to protect DREAMers and immigrant families from the Trump Administration’s reckless and divisive mass deportation agenda.”
“It wasn’t until the introduction of the DACA that I was able to obtain a social security number and a work authorization card which allowed me to apply, be accepted to and graduate from Michigan State University. It wasn’t until then that my brother was able to become a coder at consulting firms and teach at tech companies. It wasn’t until DACA that I felt like I existed as a human being,” said Nejvi Bejko.
Leezia Dhalla, Dreamer said “My parents taught me that this country is a special place, and that if I was willing to work hard, I could achieve great things. Earning a work permit and protections from DACA have paved the way for me to achieve my professional goals while using my Northwestern degree to the fullest extent. After five years as a DACA beneficiary, I have been able to buy a home, buy a car and pay off tens of thousands of dollars in student loans. A few days ago I celebrated my 21st anniversary in the United States. It’s a day that is incredibly special to me because it represents the start of my American Dream. After more than two decades in this country, I feel I am deserving of certainty and the permanent protections that the Dream Act would provide.”
“Ten percent of members of the Senate and House are graduates of our 28 Jesuit universities, and scores more are graduates of our high schools. To those alumni in particular, I speak today,” said S.J., President of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) Michael J. Sheeran. “You learned in school about the obligation to respect and protect the natural rights of other human beings, especially when they stand in need before you and you have the power to help. You now have the power – in a way we ordinary citizens do not – to do justice to these students.”
Gary May, Chancellor for the University of California, Davis said “We’re guided by University of California principles that champion equal access to higher education for students of all backgrounds. We welcome and support all students without regard to their immigration status. UC Davis won’t abandon our DACA students. I call on Congress to pass bipartisan legislation that would provide a permanent solution for our students.”
“My grandparents came to America through Ellis Island, and like many children of immigrants, my mother pursued education as a way to better herself, her family, and her community. The privilege to do this – to pursue the American Dream – is one that our nation promised to DACA enrollees. It is a privilege that, today, Congress can and must act to protect,” said SUNY Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson. “As chancellor of the country’s largest comprehensive system of public higher education and the granddaughter of immigrants, I am proud to stand with students, colleagues, and federal representatives in today’s call for the immediate passage of the Dream Act.”
“As a university leader, I have seen first-hand DACA’s transformative power on the lives of students,” said University at Albany President Havidán Rodríguez. “We must urge Congress to uphold and continue this critical policy—which not only benefits the Dreamers but also cultivates inclusive excellence in our communities, our institutions of higher education, and our local economies.”
“On behalf of the University at Buffalo, I once again would like to publicly express my support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program,” said University at Buffalo President Satish Tripathi. “All students, including DACA students across our state and our nation, should have the opportunity to pursue their educational goals and their professional aspirations. The University at Buffalo is committed to a diverse and inclusive campus community, and we urge Congress to protect the earned rights of New York State’s 42,000 DACA enrollees.”
“High achievers in the American education system, brilliant innovators passionate about uncovering the next lifesaving drug and life enhancing technology, and compassionate members of our community; these are the Stony Brook University DACA students,” said President Samuel L. Stanley Jr., M.D. “They are in our classrooms, proudly walking the University’s campus, and graduating with honors from many of our programs, making our University better, but facing an uncertain future. Acting now is the right thing to do for these young scholars, and for the future of our country.”
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