Philadelphia, PA – The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition will hold a rally and news conference on Sunday, July 17, to urge congressional action and Administration support for the “DREAM Act,” a federal proposal that would provide a path to U.S. citizenship and remove barriers to attending college for immigrant students who were brought to the U.S. as young children and have made this country their home. The event will be held at 1:00 p.m. in the Grand Hall of the Pennsylvania Convention Center, site of the 2005 NCLR Annual Conference July 16-19.

Approximately 65,000 students, who were brought to the United States as young children, graduate from high school every year but who face barriers to attending college due to their immigration status. Among those students are Cristian Arcega, Luis Aranda, Lorenzo Santillan, and Oscar Vasquez, four Phoenix-area students from Carl Hayden Community High School who gained national recognition for winning first-place, over MIT, at the 2004 Marine Advanced Technology Education Center’s Remotely Operated Vehicle Competition. These students, examples of young people who would be eligible for the “DREAM Act,” will speak to participants at the rally.

Other speakers at the rally include NCLR President Janet Murguia; Regan Cooper of the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition; Melinda Lewis of El Centro, Inc., a Kansas-based NCLR affiliate; Blanca Cabrera of Latinos Unidos Siempre in Oregon; and other “DREAM” students.

MEDIA ADVISORY

All members of the media interested in attending the rally can pre-register for free online or pick up credentials on-site in Room 202B of the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

Visit www.nclr.org/conference for more information.

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