Assembly Member Nelson L. Castro, Chairman of the Assembly Task Force on New Americans and Fellow Assembly Members Urge Enactment of the State’s DREAM Act

March 21, 2013

Albany, New York – Assembly Member Nelson L. Castro (D-Bronx), Chair of the Assembly Task Force on New Americans, and other fellow members urge Governor Andrew Cuomo and Senate to make the New York State Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act a reality.

The New York State Assembly has taken a step forward to address the problem of thousands of immigrant students who are not able to receive financial aid to obtain a postsecondary education by including an allocation of 25 million for the creation of the (DREAM) Act. In addition to allowing certain immigrant students to apply for several state tuition-assistance programs, the New York DREAM Act would also create a DREAM fund commission and a DREAM fund to provide private scholarships to these students.

“Most undocumented students are in the United States involuntarily and after arrival, they have become an important part of our communities. They live with the fear of being deported every day which prevents them from having an emotionally stable life. New York State can no longer continue to ignore the need to ensure that these young adults, who we have educated and raised for decades, have access to good quality education and be given the opportunity to accomplish their goals,” said Assemblyman Castro.

Currently, New York State allows undocumented students to apply to colleges and universities at their own cost which creates an economic burden for the thousands of families that simply cannot afford it. This barrier prevents these young students from fully participating in our economy while increasing their poverty levels and decreasing their quality of life.

“Failure to make the Dream Act a reality in New York would be an act of extremely poor judgment, and a betrayal of the trust of voters from New York’s vast immigrant community, who turned out in unprecedented large numbers to insure legislative majorities that could pass this bill into law, said Assemblyman Nick perry. “Investing in education is always a smart decision. We should not continue to follow hardcore ideologues and stick our heads in the sand.”

“The Assembly majority continues to lead on vital issues affecting immigrant communities across the state. It is unfortunate that the same commitment on educational achievement, social justice, and economic development has not been shared by the Senate nor Governor Cuomo. By failing to include passage of the DREAM Act in this budget, we continue to ignore the intellectual capital that our state has among our immigrant youth and further limiting the economic prosperity of our great State of New York,” expressed Assemblyman Marcos Crespo.

“The failure to address the needs of the Hispanic community, and to provide improved educational opportunities and economic outcomes through the DREAM Act or DREAM Fund, is a disservice to the Latinos in the state and limits our economic growth in the future. New York State leadership should take action to pass the DREAM Act,” added Assemblyman Robert Rodriguez.

"Affording a quality education is a struggle for most families in this country, but especially for immigrant families, who are often working multiple jobs just to make ends meet," said Assembly Member Gabriela Rosa. "To break this cycle of poverty, it is essential that financial aid be made available to immigrant children so they can obtain the skills they need to get a good job and build a better future for themselves, their families and their communities. The Assembly took a strong lead by including the DREAM Act in our budget proposal. Now, it is time for the Senate and the Governor to step up and ensure that it becomes a reality."

“It is a shame to see that immigrants are now “the new kids on the block” experiencing social injustice like the many years that African-Americans have experienced. We would think in these days and times this would not be a discussion, but a reality, that would be giving immigrants who built this country an open door to prosperity,” said Assemblyman Erick Stevenson.

“The Dream Act was an avenue for young immigrants to enhance their education and their fulfillment of the American dream. The failure to pass this Act is a sad day for the Latino community in this state. When states like Texas lead us in ensuring that all young immigrants clamoring to reach the highest level if education can do so, then we need to reassess our States commitment to our future,” said Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda.

“It saddened me to believe the Governor did not provide real leadership on the DREAM Act issue that affects millions of Latinos in the State of New York. The time is now. I guarantee that Latino voices will be heard all over the state,” Assemblyman Jose Rivera expressed.

This effort was joined by Suffolk County Legislator Rick Montano (D-Brentwood), who stated: “I urge Governor Andrew Cuomo to lead the effort to provide educational opportunities to these young students who in every sense of the word are Americans. They deserve the opportunity to pursue the American Dream.”

New York State has already invested millions in the education of these immigrant students through the state’s public school system. Enacting the DREAM Act into law is the best solution to maintaining an educated workforce and giving these immigrant students the opportunity to continue the American DREAM.

As education continues to be the most reliable solution to poverty, Assembly Member Nelson L. Castro and other members of the task force urge Governor Cuomo and Senate to take action and enact the DREAM Act into law in the current legislative session.

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