Carolyn Maloney: “I rise in strong support of the DREAM Act and urge all of my colleagues to vote for this important bill. I rise today in…”

“I rise in strong support of the DREAM Act and urge all of my colleagues to vote for this important bill. I rise today in support of the American DREAM Act, bipartisan legislation that would provide a path to legal status for undocumented youth who entered the U.S. as children, graduated from U.S. high schools, and attend college or enter the military. Our Nation's history is rooted in the strength of immigrants. As New Yorkers, my constituents have a special understanding of how America's melting pot can create a rich tapestry of ethnic, cultural and religious traditions that infuse vitality into the economic and social aspects of our communities. I strongly believe that by protecting the rights of workers, securing the border, and modernizing our pathway to legal immigration, the hope that we can fix our broken system will become a reality. Under the DREAM Act, qualified students would be eligible for conditional immigration status upon high school graduation that would then lead, after a period of ten years and a rigorous process, to permanent legal residency if they go to college or serve in the military.”