Local and national organizations have expressed support for the decision by Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., to attach the DREAM Act to the defense authorization bill as part of a larger campaign for immigration reform.
Later today, immigration activists from Students Working for Equal rights and the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center Coalition will gather at the Miami office of Sen. George LeMieux, R-Fla., to organize a vigil in support of the DREAM Act.
Maria Rodriguez, executive director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, wrote to The Florida Independent, “We support the DREAM ACT and urge Senator Le Mieux and Nelson to vote in favor of it.”
A press release from the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center issued today states:
[FIAC] applauds Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s move to bring the DREAM Act to a vote next week as a part of the Defense Department authorization bill.Enactment of the DREAM Act would allow talented young immigrants to fully contribute their talents to the nation they love. Under its provisions, immigrant youth could legalize their status by attending college or serving in the U.S. military. They would pay back with their hard work, community service and tax contributions.
CASA de Maryland, that state’s largest Latino and immigrant rights organization, issued a press release today
calling on President Obama to move quickly and strongly on immigration reform to regain critical immigrant support moving into the elections.
On Thursday afternoon, the President will meet with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to discuss the basic elements necessary to protect immigrant families. The CHC is calling on the President to strongly and immediately support a comprehensive immigration reform bill to be introduced by Senator Menendez that will provide relief to millions of immigrant families as well as a DREAM amendment to the Department of Defense spending bill, an administrative order staying the deportation of millions of hard-working immigrants pending the passage of reform, and an end to DHS programs that authorize local police enforcement of immigration laws – policies that have resulted in mass accusations of racial profiling and dozens of lawsuits across the country.
