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DREAM Act Activists Take It to the Next Level

21 Jul

DREAM Act activists are facing deportation by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after being arrested yesterday for staging a sit-in at the Hart Senate Office Building.  Rather than be sitting in a prison cell right now they could be sitting in a college classroom thinking of ways to improve this country.

Activists have held sit-ins for the DREAM Act before, but usually only legalized citizens allowed themselves to be arrested.  A dozen  of yesterday’s demonstrators are here illegally, like Antonia Rivera, a UC Irvine graduate.  Rivera, 28, was brought here from Mexico at six-years old by her parents.  The banner that the activists gathered by said proudly, “Undocumented and Unafraid.”

Rather than applaud the bravery of these activists, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), the author of the act, criticized them for “cross[ing] the line from passionate advocacy to inappropriate behavior”… “Sen. Durbin believes that we will win this fight on the merits, not through public demonstrations or publicity stunts.”

The Washington Post is reporting that it is unlikely these demonstrators will actually be deported given the political climate surrounding their arrests.  However, the very fact that these demonstrators are willing to risk it shows how much they deeply love this country and want to contribute to it.

“We can’t live our lives afraid that there’s always something going to happen to us, just because we are undocumented,” said Francisco Gutierrez, 18, a Georgetown University student.

After opening the doors to DREAM University a week ago, the activists were dressed in blue gowns for a mock graduation held at a nearby church earlier in the day. Organized by the United We DREAM Network, DREAM University is a new spin on the 1960s teach-ins offering free courses taught by volunteer professors in a variety of subjects to show elected officials what could be.  The activist will hold a press conference later today to update on the status of those arrested.

The DREAM Act would create a narrow path to citizenship for illegal immigrants who have lived in the US for over 5 years, graduated high school, and are attending college or are enrolled in the military.

DREAM U Opens Doors to Show Need for DREAM Act

15 Jul

Immigrant students won’t let Congress stop them from going on to higher education at “DREAM University”, launched yesterday with 27 students outside the White House.  As the larger debate over immigration reform stalls in the Senate, students are continuing to draw attention to the greatest casualty of this country’s broken policies: children of undocumented immigrants.  The DREAM Act would allow children who came here with their parents illegally the opportunity to go to college and have a path to citizenship.  They should not be punished for their parents desire to raise them in a better place, and our society should not suffer by denying them an education because of bad policies. 

DREAM University opened its doors to the inaugural class of immigrant students receiving free lectures and workshops as a symbol for what this country and themselves stand to gain if the bill passes.  Classes are taught by volunteer professors, in a similar way to the 1960s teach-ins.  The goal is for students to attend 20 classes in various subjects, all for free.  Of course, the classes will not translate into college credit – but they are based on the premise that no one should be denied the opportunity to learn.  During breaks students will likely make their way over to Congress for a little lobbying.  Organizers expect the event to be ongoing until we see movement from Congress.  Explaining the inspiration for the action, Carlos Saavedra, coordinator for United We DREAM said, “if we really wanted to make a point about education … we needed to literally build a university in different parts of D.C.”

According to an Associated Press report, students are expected to come from all over the country with students in Massachusetts and Denver and Los Angeles already raising funds for the trip.  The “university” has assigned Residence Hall, Curriculum, and Admissions advisers, that are helping put it all together.  The event is gaining traction on facebook, with over 450 confirmed guests and an active wall.  Hopefully, one day soon these students will be able to attend one of the great accredited university’s the nation’s capitol has to offer.

Below is the press release from the National Immigration Forum which is organizing the United We DREAM Network, which is hosting the action:

DREAM Act Activists Take the Stage in Nation’s Capital

July 14, 2010

DREAM University Spotlights Hurdles to Higher Education Experienced by Immigrant Youth

Washington D.C. – Hundreds of young immigrant students from across the country are gathering this month in Washington, D.C., to pressure Congress for swift passage of the DREAM Act, bipartisan legislation that will benefit talented undocumented immigrant kids who yearn to attend college or serve in the United States military.

Today, these young students will be part of the inaugural class of the “DREAM University”. The “DREAM University” is a forum for immigrant students who yearn for higher education but are denied access due to their immigration status. Young participants will not have to prove citizenship status in order to attend free lectures by educators and organizers.

“We congratulate these inspiring students for their courage and determination to bring national awareness to their struggle to  access higher education and a fair opportunity to succeed,” said Ali Noorani, Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum and Chair of the Reform Immigration FOR America Campaign. “The DREAM Act is an integral component of comprehensive immigration reform and these young activists are key allies of the coalition fighting to fix our broken immigration system. “

Young immigrant students are the overlooked casualties of the immigration debate’s overheated rhetoric. They were brought to the U.S. as children through no fault of their own, were raised in America, educated in America and think of themselves as Americans. Many long to earn a college degree or serve the country in uniform but they face a dim future of dead-end jobs because they are stuck in a paperwork trap.

The DREAM Act addresses the purgatory-like status of these young immigrant students who are ready to give back to America – their home – through hard work and service. This bipartisan bill offers a practical solution. It defies common sense to put higher education out of reach for hard working immigrant students.  Doing so won’t force them to leave our country—the only country they call home. It would, however force them to remain in the underground workforce while America is deprived of the increased economic productivity and tax revenues provided by a better-educated workforce.

“Congress should emulate the courage of these young people, set political gamesmanship aside and pass comprehensive immigration reform this year” added Noorani. “Unless Congress acts swiftly to address illegal immigration with pragmatic and long lasting solutions, some of our best and brightest immigrant students will have their potential cut short. The DREAM Act guards our nation’s investment in the education of its youth, and ensures that America will reap the benefits of those investments.”

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For more information on the DREAM Act mobilization contact Tolu Olubunmi, United We DREAM Network.

Send Your Resume to Congress for a Clean Energy Future

23 Jun

The folks at Consequence have a great new action tool for young people to pressure Congress to support green jobs legislation: a job application form.

Send Your Résumé to the Senate for a Clean Energy Future

It’s up to our leaders in Washington to unlock this potential by passing comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation.

To show Congress we need clean energy jobs, young people are sending résumés to the Senate and demanding they give us this opportunity.

In the latest New York Times/CBS News Poll, a vast majority believe developing new energy sources needs to be a higher priority for the federal government.  And 54% say President Obama has no clear plan for creating jobs.  Now is the time to act.  The public wants a green jobs future, and young workers need those opportunities more than ever.

Momentum is building in the Senate for Senators Susan Collins’ (ME-R) and Maria Cantwell’s (WA-D) energy bill, the CLEAR Act, which would create a “cap-and-refund” approach.  The bill limits the amount of emissions, but allows polluters to purchase credits for addition emissions.  But rather than create a free market for these sales, they are sold by the government and the profits are distributed to taxpayers.  Any bill that creates real incentives for investment in clean energy will create green jobs, so if this is the best bill that can pass the Senate, pass it.

For-Profit College Scrutiny

22 Jun

Congressional Democrats are finally turning up the heat on for-profit colleges and demanding some accountability for the 25% of federal student-aid they receive.  On Monday, Senators Tom Harkin and Richard Durbin, Representatives George Miller, Ruben Hinojosa and Timothy Bishop, sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office demanding a review of the quality of these institutions.

In numerous recent news stories and documentaries, for-profit colleges are accused of being more loyal to profits over the education of their students.  Senator Harkin summed up the balancing act: “While for-profit colleges have a responsibility to their shareholders, they also have a responsibility to provide educational value to their students, and an obligation to ensure that the federal dollars they receive are well spent.”

Review of for-profit colleges is much overdue.  With the costs of college rising, many are turning to these colleges as alternatives that will allow balancing school with work.  However, for-profits leave many students with high amounts of student loan debt and a lack of marketable skills.  Further, for-profits lead by example in the push to corporatize even non-profit institutions of higher education, degrading the quality of the educational experience across the board.

In particular, the letter asked the GAO to look at:

• The growth and change in the postsecondary education sector over the last several years, including changes in the structure and governance of institutions, recruitment practices, and the type and delivery of educational programs provided;
• What is known about the quality of educational programs offered by proprietary institutions and the outcomes for students attending such institutions, such as program completion rates, professional licensure rates, job placement rates, and student loan indebtedness;
• Whether existing program integrity safeguards are sufficient to protect against waste, fraud and abuse in the Federal student aid programs; and
• The extent to which proprietary institutions’ revenue is comprised of Federal student aid offered under Title IV of the Higher Education Act as well as other Federal funding sources.

In a statement, Senator Durbin said, “Millions of dollars are being sent to for-profit schools every year through federal student aid programs… It is essential that these institutions are held a high academic standard in order to ensure that students are given access to a high quality education.”

Last week, the Department of Education delayed issuing a regulation that would have prevented for-profits from receiving federal aid if their graduates are not properly prepared for the labor market.  This Thursday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee is holding a hearing on the for-profit industry as well.

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

16 Jun

America is in a jobs crisis.  According to an April report, The Jobs Deficit, by the middle-of-the-road New America Foundation, we are short 12.3 million jobs (thats the difference between people looking for work and available jobs): 

Here is a look at what has stalled in Congress that would address this deficit gap, while bickering over the size of government distracts:

  • The American Power Act, which President Obama failed to demand the Senate pass last night, would create an average of 203,000 to 440,000 more jobs per year through 2020.  This is the time for green jobs legislation, but if the President stalls to happily “look at other ideas and approaches from either party” (as he did with healthcare legislation), we will be lacking the necessary leadership to get a bill passed.
  • The American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010, as watered down as it is, will inject $1 billion over ten-years into summer youth employment programs, creating 300,000 jobs for the youngest workers.
  • The Education Jobs Fund, introduced by Senator Harkin, would save more than 300,000 school jobs (teachers, paraprofessionals, bus drivers, cafeteria workers) by injecting $23 billion into local boards of education over two years.
  • 6-month extension of Federal Medicaid matching funds.  This money is critical to maintaining basic government services and public sector jobs.  Cutting jobs and unemployment benefits is not the way to restore fiscal discipline, let alone grow the economy.  The Senate has re-included this as part of the Jobs Bill (HR 4213) that they are voting on today, but it is expected to fail in favor of some unclear compromise. 

We need to get America back to work in a way where everyone prospers, not just the few at the top.  Congress must act now.

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