Hundreds of student activists and immigration reform advocates packed a Senate hearing room this morning to witness the first-ever Senate hearing on the “Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act.” The moment was historic, and the two panels of witnesses included Janet Napolitano, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security; Arne Duncan, Secretary of the Department of Education; Dr. Clifford Stanley, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness; Lieutenant Margaret Stock, retired Army reserves officer and immigration attorney; Steven Camarota, director of research for the anti-immigrant group Center for Immigration Studies; and Ola Kaso, a “DREAM Act” hopeful and student who arrived in the United States at the age of five.
It has been ten years since Sen. Richard Durbin first introduced the “DREAM Act,” which would create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who were brought here as children and are working hard to contribute to America. The bill would give these youth a chance to earn legal status if they came to the U.S. as children (15 or under), are long-term U.S. residents, have good moral character, graduate from high school or obtain a GED, and complete two years of college or military service in good standing.
Last December, the “DREAM Act” came as close to passing as it ever has, but those efforts were thwarted by break a Republican filibuster. Immigration advocates, including NCLR, are hopeful that the DREAM Act will finally become law this year.
Today’s testimony was largely positive, as witnesses talked at length about the benefits of the bill for the economy and for the American education system.
“Educating these [undocumented] students is an investment, not an expense,” said Sec. Duncan when asked by Sen. Durbin to address concerns that passage of the “DREAM Act” would be too costly for public colleges and universities. He went on to cite the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, which has stated that, if passed, the “DREAM Act” would cut the deficit by more than $1 billion dollars.
The highlight of the hearing came when Kaso told her story. Her aspirations of going to medical school to become an oncology surgeon would be cut short, she said, if the “DREAM Act” is not carried through. Kaso is currently in the middle of deportation proceedings; she received word from the United States government just two months before her high school graduation. Kaso was lucky to receive support for her community, however, as they rallied to get the Department of Homeland Security to grant her a deferred action for one year while she finished high school. Watch her emotional testimony below:
Today’s event, though historic, was only a hearing. Sen. Durbin expressed his frustration with the process, saying that he was discouraged with the length of time it has taken to pass the bill, but not too disheartened to stop trying. “Sometimes it takes a long time to reach fairness and justice, but we do get there,” he said before closing the hearing. “Our day will come. This dream will come true.”
In the meantime, the clock is ticking for bright, young students like Kaso, for whom America is the home and the country that they love. NCLR will continue to work on her behalf and on behalf of the thousands of young people who only want to do their part to become productive American citizens.