Washington, DC – The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., applauds Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL), Chuck Hagel (R-NE), and Richard Lugar (R-IN) for introducing the “Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act of 2005,” S. 2075. This bill will ensure that every student in the U.S. who excels academically and graduates from high school in this country has the opportunity – regardless of immigration status – to pursue higher education and live the American Dream.

NCLR also commends cosponsoring Senators Norm Coleman (R-MN), Larry Craig (R-ID), Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), and John McCain (R-AZ) for working together to better the lives of immigrants who came to the U.S. as children, built roots in our communities, and are eager to contribute to this country.

“The ‘DREAM Act’ unleashes the enormous potential of thousands of young students, giving them the freedom to dream of a future with genuine educational, job, and life opportunities,” said Janet Murguia, NCLR President and CEO. “This bill is about giving every student who graduates from high school in this country the chance to go on to college. NCLR is fiercely committed to ensuring that this Congress passes the ‘DREAM Act’ before another class of high school students is forced to defer the opportunity to pursue higher education.”

For more information, please call Marcela Salazar or Melissa Lazarín at (202) 785-1670 or visit the NCLR website at www.nclr.org.

###