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DREAM Act Good Start to Healing Country
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Statement by Marissa Graciosa of Fair Immigration Reform Movement
Thursday, Mar 26, 2009
Washington – Today, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives introduced the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, which would grant thousands of undocumented students raised in the US the opportunity to earn permanent residency. The following is a statement from Marissa Graciosa, campaign coordinator with FIRM.
“Every year thousands of undocumented talented high school students face great uncertainty about the future because the country they consider home doesn’t recognize them and closes many doors to them. The DREAM Act would begin unlocking those doors, and allow these future teachers, doctors and community organizers the chance to go to college, work and join the military.
“It’s really unfortunate that Congress has failed to act on such an imperative moral issue for so long. Nothing makes more sense than allowing our young people every opportunity to reach their full potential. It’s a moral failing to continually turn our backs on youngsters who were brought here as children and have done nothing wrong.
“This year, we expect Congress to rectify this moral wrong. But Congress can’t stop there. We must also act to bring millions of undocumented workers out of the shadows. President Obama has often talked about living our values. We fully support him on this, and we can start by passing the DREAM Act and immigration reform.”
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Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) is a coalition of grassroots community organizations nationwide, including statewide immigrant rights coalitions, organizing networks, faith-based groups, and low-income and other networks organized around ethnicity or national origin, working on behalf of comprehensive immigration reform and immigrant rights. FIRM is convened by the Center for Community Change.
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