Help Save Maryland Action Alert


Press conference will be held Tuesday morning on Capitol Hill. Please stand by for a future email detailing exact place and time. Please feel free to forward along to your contacts.

Washington, DC December 6, 2010
For Immediate Release
From: Progressives for Immigration Reform
To: All Media Outlets

EXACT TIME AND LOCATION TO BE DETERMINED

Latino Leaders Meet to Oppose DREAM Act

On Tuesday morning, Latino leaders will join a bipartisan group of Congressmen on Capitol Hill to oppose passage of the controversial measure, the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act of 2010 (DREAM Act). The so-called DREAM Act would provide certain minors who are illegal immigrants a path to citizenship if they attend college for two years or join the military. There are an estimated 12-20 million illegal immigrants residing in the United States. Proponents and Democratic leaders have pushed hard for the bill's passage and a House vote is expected later this week.

According to Carmen Perez, Latino activist and a leader of the coalition, "Latino leaders are gathered today in solidarity. We are here to send a strong message to Congress that as Latino activists, we stand staunchly opposed to any measure that puts Americans at a disadvantage and rewards illegal behavior."

According to Congressional statements and the Migration Policy Institute, if passed, the bill could potentially grant amnesty to as many as 2.1 million illegal immigrants. With unemployment at 9.8%, passage of the bill would further devastate an already ailing workforce. "I think progressives and conservatives alike can agree on the need to support working and middle-class citizens during a depressed economy," said Leah Durant, Executive Director of Progressives for Immigration Reform. "This bill would provide in-state tuition rates and residency benefits to illegal immigrant students when many Americans are hurting the most. What makes sense is that America's jobs and tuition benefits should be reserved for people who are legally entitled to compete for them."

Key provisions of the DREAM Act would:

•Waive all numerical limitations on green cards, and prohibit any numerical limitation on the number of aliens eligible for amnesty under the bill's provisions.

•Allow illegal aliens to qualify for in-state tuition rates, even while this benefit is denied to U.S. citizens and legally present aliens residing in other states.

For more information about this press conference please contact: Rachel McCahon at: (202) 543-5325 or info@pfirdc.org.


Leah V. Durant
Executive Director
Progressives for Immigration Reform
888 16th Street NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20006
Telephone: 202-543-5325
1-866-331-PFIR (7347)
www.pfirdc.org



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