Washington, DC - [Raul Yzaguirre, President of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the nation's largest Latino civil rights organization, praised Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Richard Durbin (D-IL) for their leadership in the reintroduction of the "DREAM Act," S. 1545. He issued the following statement:]

Yesterday evening, the hopes and dreams of thousands of immigrant students took a step closer to becoming a reality. Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Richard Durbin (D-IL) reintroduced a revised version of the "Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act of 2003," S. 1545, a bipartisan bill that would open the college doors to U.S.-raised children of undocumented immigrants. NCLR strongly commends Senators Hatch and Durbin for their bipartisan leadership and persistence in working together to better the lives of immigrant children in our nation's public schools.

The "DREAM Act," a legislative proposal of critical importance to the Latino community, would facilitate state efforts to offer in-state tuition to students, regardless of their immigration status. Currently, undocumented immigrant students are typically charged out-of-state or international tuition fees, regardless of their length of residence in the U.S. and graduation from our nation's K-12 public schools. As a result, they are locked out of the opportunity to pursue higher education. Given that a growing number of states, including Utah, Illinois, Oklahoma, Washington, Texas, California, and New York, have recently enacted state legislation providing immigrant students greater access to in-state tuition rates, the "DREAM Act" responds to the increasing demand for state control over state postsecondary education benefits.

The "DREAM Act" unleashes the vast potential of thousands of young students, giving them the freedom to dream of a future with genuine educational and employment opportunities. With the enactment of the "DREAM Act," and similar bipartisan legislation in the House known as the "Student Adjustment Act," H.R. 1684, immigrant students that have been raised and schooled in the U.S. will be able to pursue higher education, obtain immigration relief, and fully contribute to our nation's workforce. Our nation will undoubtedly benefit from their burgeoning talent and leadership, and our economy from their increased state and federal tax contributions.

NCLR applauds Senator Durbin, a longtime advocate of the Latino and immigrant community, and Senator Hatch, a strong ally in the Latino community's struggle for access to higher education, for their willingness to cross party lines and maintain their commitment to the "DREAM Act." Together they send a strong message that passage of the "DREAM Act" is not a partisan issue and should be a priority for Congress. NCLR also praises cosponsoring Senators Craig (R-ID), Crapo (R-ID), Feingold (D-WI), Kennedy (D-MA), Leahy (D-VT), and Lugar (R-IN) for their continued support of the "DREAM Act." We look forward to working with their colleagues in the Senate to ensure full passage of this important legislation.

Enactment of the "DREAM Act" and "Student Adjustment Act" is a major priority for the Latino community. The futures of immigrant students and their families in every state weigh heavily on these bills, and advocates in more than 34 states are vigorously pushing for their passage. NCLR is fiercely committed to ensuring that this Congress hears their voices and enacts this legislation.

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