Tucson, Arizona Thursday, 18 July 2002
http://www.azstarnet.com/star/today/20718DREAMACT.html
By Veronica Torrejón
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Human rights activists called attention Wednesday to two bills in Congress that would grant permanent residency to undocumented students who grew up in the United States.
About a dozen people, including congressional hopeful Raul Grijalva and Pima County Supervisor Richard Elias, held a news conference at U.S. District Court to show support for the measures.
The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act is sponsored by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. The bill would grant legal residency to undocumented students with no criminal record who have been U.S. residents for at least five years and have graduated from a U.S. high school or received a GED.
Like the DREAM Act, the Student Adjustment Act, being considered in the House, would also grant residency to students 21 or younger who have been in the United States for more than five years.
"Most of these students were brought into our country when they were little. They have grown up and been educated here. They are bright, law-obeying young people, who have dreams of becoming professionals," said Rene Franco director of the Immigration and Citizenship Program of Catholic Social Services of Tucson.
The DREAM Act would also reverse a federal law that bans states from giving federal money and services to undocumented students. Those students would then be forced to pay out-of-state tuition and would also not qualify for scholarships at state universities, said coalition Director Jose R. Matus.
In a written statement, Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., said he had trouble with "the piecemeal approach of this legislation and other bills that grant amnesty to particular groups of illegal immigrants without regard to the effects on our overall immigration policy."
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has not taken a stance on the legislation, said spokeswoman Rebecca Hanks.
* Contact Veronica Torrejón at torrejon@azstarnet.com.
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