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Thank you for contacting me regarding the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act (S. 774).
I am grateful to hear from a fellow Nevadan, and it is always reassuring to see citizens taking an active role in the legislative process. As you know, the DREAM Act would allow students who are illegally present in the United States to avoid deportation and attend an American college or university. This bill would allow students living illegally in the United States to pay an in-state tuition rate and receive federal student aid while American-born students who reside out-of-state would have to pay a higher tuition rate. For example, a U.S. citizen who graduates from a Nevada high school and chooses to attend college in California would be forced to pay more tuition than an illegal immigrant student attending the same college. I believe that our country should be working to reduce illegal immigration, but, unfortunately, I fear this bill may do just the opposite. America has a rich tradition when it comes to immigration. Over the years, people from every nation have come to the United States in search of freedom and to pursue their dreams. The immigrant story is one of hope: hope for a better life for oneself and for one's children. The immigrant story is also one of assimilation and contribution to our great nation. By contributing to our country, immigrants have helped create an America of which we can all be proud, a society where we respect life and value liberty. These common values have brought us together as a people in times of crisis and help us appreciate the people of each nationality who have contributed to our great society. That said, there are many challenges facing our country with respect to legal and illegal immigration. Because of these challenges, I believe that America should adopt immigration policies that are based, first and foremost, on meeting America's needs and the challenges we face. I support policies that would attract immigrants who will come to America to contribute to our society. There are many men and women serving in our nation's armed forces who are immigrants. They serve because of their love for this country and respect for our nation's values. They truly deserve to be called American. There are also people who have highly sought-after skills, such as advanced degrees in science, math, or super-computing. These immigrants represent hope for continued scientific advancement, such as finding a cure for certain cancers. I believe that America is stronger because of immigrants like these, and I believe that America should seek them out and welcome them. The DREAM Act has been referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, of which I am not a member. As this issue moves forward, whether as stand alone legislation or as part of a broader immigration reform bill, I will be sure to keep your concerns in mind. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me.
If you should have further questions or comments or would like to sign up for my monthly newsletter, please feel free to write or e-mail me via my website at 1. http://ensign.senate.gov. Sincerely, JOHN ENSIGN United States Senator JE/Mail Your thoughts and opinions are important. Unfortunately, any replies to this e-mail will not be received and processed. If you want to contact Senator Ensign electronically again please visit: