Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America

The DREAM Act (HR 1751/ S 729) is piece of bi-partisan legislation, introduced by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) and Representatives Howard Berman (D-CA), Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL), and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), that seeks to reform one part of our broken immigration system by supporting undocumented students and immigrant youth.

Under current law, these young people generally derive their immigration status solely from their parents, and if their parents are undocumented or in immigration limbo, most have no mechanism to obtain legal residency, even if they have lived most of their lives here in the U.S. The DREAM Act would provide such a mechanism for those who are able to meet certain conditions.

The DREAM Act would enact two major changes in current law:

• Permit certain immigrant students who have grown up in the U.S. to apply for temporary legal status and to eventually obtain permanent status and become eligible for U.S. citizenship if they go to college or serve in the U.S. military; and
• Eliminate a federal provision that penalizes states that provide in-state tuition without regard to immigration status.

If enacted, the DREAM Act would have a life-changing impact on the students who qualify, dramatically increasing their average future earnings-and consequently the amount of taxes they would pay-while significantly reducing criminal justice and social services costs to taxpayers.

The DREAM Act is one concrete step that legislators can take as we continue to work toward comprehensive immigration reform. It provides a model for future reform by having its foundation in family, education, and hard work. Students that will benefit from the DREAM Act are vital parts of our schools, communities, and country. We cannot afford to leave them in the shadows of our broken system.

Current Illinois co-sponsors of the DREAM Act include Senators Durbin and Burris and Representatives Davis, Gutierrez, Jackson, Quigley, Rush, and Schakowsky. If these are your representatives, please call to thank them and urge them to move the bill forward THIS YEAR.

If your rep is not a co-sponsor, call and ask them to become one. Feel free to use the script below as a guide:

Hello, my name is ­­­­­­______________ and I live in _____________ (city/zip). I am calling today to ask Rep._________________ to co-sponsor HR 1751, the DREAM Act. Our broken immigration system can no longer afford to leave behind students and young people that had no say in their immigration status and have worked hard. I support this bill and other immigration reforms that prioritize family, education and equality. Will the Rep. please co-sponsor?

Remember to ask for a formal response, via email or mail. As a constituent, you should get one.

In Solidarity,

Erin Armstrong

Public Policy Coordinator

Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America (CRLN)
earmstrong@crln.org

(773) 293-2964

If you don't know who your Members of Congress are, go to http://www.congress.org/ and type in your zip code to find out or give us a call at 773-293-2964. Below is a list of IL Members of Congress and their phone numbers. When you call, ask to speak to the immigration aide. If he or she is not available, leave a voicemail message on their voicemail.

Bobby Rush (D-1^st) - 202-225-4372

Jesse Jackson (D-2^nd) - 202-225-0773

Dan Lipinski (D-3^rd) - 202-225-5701

Luis Gutierrez (D-4^th) - 202-225-8303

Mike Quigley (D-5^th) - 202-225-4061

Peter Roskam (R-6^th) - 202-225-4561

Danny Davis (D-7^th) - 202-225-5006

Melissa Bean (D-8^th) - 202-225-3711

Jan Schakowsky (D-9^th­) - 202-225-2111

Mark Kirk (R-10^th) - 202-225-4835

Debbie Halvorson (D-11^th) - 202-225-3635

Jerry Costello (D-12^th) - 202-225-5661

Judy Biggert (R-13^th) - 202-225-3515

Bill Foster (D-14^th) - 202-225-2976

Timothy Johnson (R-15^th) - 202-225-2371

Donald Manzullo (R-16^th) - 202-225-5676

Phil Hare (D-17^th) ­- 202-225-5905

Aaron Schock (R-18^th) - 202-225-6201

John Shimkus (R-19^th) - 202-225-5271