"Be assured I will not rest until the DREAM Act is the law of the land" Barbara Boxer

"Be assured I will not rest until the DREAM Act is the law of the land" Barbara Boxer Dear Dr. Morris-Vasquez:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act.  I appreciate hearing from you, and I share your support for this landmark legislation.

On December 18, 2010, efforts to pass the DREAM Act in the Senate were once again blocked.  I am deeply disappointed that we have once again turned our backs on some of our best and brightest young people who grew up in America, love America, and want to serve America.

I was proud to be a co-sponsor of this important bill that would have allowed an individual to qualify for legal status if he or she had lived in the United States for at least five years, graduated from high school, completed two years of college or two years of service in the U.S. armed forces, and demonstrated strong moral character.

Each year, thousands of immigrant students with good grades are denied college admission because of their immigration status.  Most of these young people had no choice in the matter, having come to the United States with their parents at an early age and spent a significant portion of their lives living in America.  The DREAM Act would have given these students a real shot at the American dream by providing them with a pathway to legalize their immigration status.

I commend the brave young men and women who have stepped forward at great personal risk to call America's attention to this injustice.  Be assured I will not rest until the DREAM Act is the law of the land.

Again, thank you for writing to me about the DREAM Act.  Please feel free to contact me in the future about this or any other issue of concern to you.

Barbara Boxer

United States Senator