FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 17, 2010
Contact:
Paco Fabián
(202) 785-1670
Latino community will be watching Saturday’s vote closely
Washington, DC—Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D–NV) filed for cloture on the “Development, Relief, and Education of Alien Minors (DREAM) Act,” setting up a procedural vote that will decide the fate of many young people in our country. NCLR (National Council of La Raza)—the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—strongly urges senators to vote yes and allow a debate on this sensible piece of legislation, which would give undocumented kids who have grown up in this country the opportunity to achieve conditional legal status and eventually earn the chance to apply for citizenship if they attend college or serve in the military.
“Saturday’s vote on the ‘DREAM Act’ will be remembered by the Latino community for generations,” said Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO. “It comes down to a very simple choice: our senators stand for innocent children, or they don’t. Latinos, the fastest-growing segment of the electorate, will remember exactly which side these senators choose and take it as an indication of who stands for our families and our communities.”
The “DREAM Act” has the support of faith, business, military, civil rights, and education leaders. A recent study shows that students covered under the “DREAM Act” will contribute at least $1 trillion to the U.S. economy over the course of their lifetimes. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that enacting the “DREAM Act” would reduce the deficit by $2.2 billion over ten years. The measure was endorsed by the fiscal year 2010–2012 Strategic Plan for the Department of Defense’s Office of the Undersecretary for Personnel and Readiness to help the military “shape and maintain a mission-ready All Volunteer Force.”
“The benefits of this modest proposal are clear and the issues that held it up have been addressed. Now the Senate must desist from blocking this debate,” said Murguía. “There is nowhere left to hide. It is time for senators of both parties to take a stand and do what is in the best interest of our community, our economy, and our country. Let’s make DREAM a reality.”
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