The UCLA Immigrant Rights Coalition and similar groups across
the nation have joined together over the past year to fight for the
passage of a federal bill to help undocumented students. Five
students were sent to represent the UCLA group last week in
Washington, D.C. and to continue lobbying on Capitol Hill.
The Developmental Relief Educational Alien Minors Act, referred
to as the DREAM Act, is a bipartisan bill in the Senate that would
help undocumented students in the United States finance their
college educations and legalize their status.
Currently, undocumented students are unable to receive most
scholarships, financial aid or work study because of their
status.
“This is causing many undocumented students to work more
than 40 hours a week during school to pay their tuition,”
said Carlos Mendoza, a fifth-year psychology student and a member
of the coalition who participated in the trip to the U.S.
capitol.
The UCLA Immigrant Rights Coalition is a student-initiated group
which works to advocate human rights. The group started two
quarters ago, but officially organized during winter.
Undocumented students who grew up in the United States and came
to the country before age 16 and at least five years before the
date of the bill’s enactment would be eligible for help under the
act. They must also be able to demonstrate good moral
character.
They would also qualify for conditional lawful permanent
resident status after being accepted to college, graduating from a
U.S. high school or upon completing the General Educational
Developmental test.
This initial stage would last for six years, during which
students must go to college, join the military, or complete
community service. After completing one of these options, students
will be eligible for lawful permanent resident status.
Not only will undocumented students be able to change their
legal status, they will also qualify for in-state tuition in
colleges across the country and will have more opportunities to
receive financial aid.
Two years ago, California passed Assembly Bill 540, a law much
like the DREAM Act, which allowed undocumented students to enroll
in colleges in California and pay in-state tuition.
While in Washington, D.C., students made appointments with
legislatures where they voiced their concerns and asked for support
for the act. California Democratic Senators Dianne Feinstein and
Barbara Boxer have already expressed their support.
To endorse the Dream Act, students held a mock graduation
ceremony last week in Washington, D.C. Wearing caps and gowns with
signs that said “˜What Now,’ the demonstrators showed
that 65,000 to 70,000 undocumented students graduate from high
school each year but don’t have access to higher
education.
The UCLA delegation joined groups from Michigan, New York,
Massachusetts, Tennessee and Oregon, among others.
“It was a big crowd,” said Gustavo de Haro, a
third-year psychology student who lobbied in Washington, D.C. last
week. “Around 120 participated in the actual event, and there
were also a couple hundred supporters.”
The students’ goal for the trip was to bring 65,000
letters to President Bush requesting his support. They succeeded in
getting 100,000 letters nationwide.
The group brought these letters with them as they marched from
Capitol Hill to the U.S. Department of Education. Because of
security reasons, the students weren’t allowed inside the
building and no representative came out to address them.
“We made an enlarged letter and gave it to a security
guard who promised to give it to the appropriate
representative,” said Adelina Huerta, a fourth-year Chicana/o
studies student.
The letters will remain with lobbyists in Washington D.C. until
the group decides on its next course of action.
Though the act has not passed yet, students say they will
continue to put pressure on Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist,
R-Tenn., to promote the act.
Students also lobbied for a similar act in the House of
Representatives, the Student Adjustment Act, which would change the
status of undocumented students. But the students say their main
focus remained on the DREAM Act because it has more support.
Along with lobbying for the DREAM Act, the UCLA group is
planning to work on a campaign to support workers in Los
Angeles’ Korea Town.
The group is made up of 15 to 20 active members, representing
student groups such as Latin American Student Alliance, MEChA and
the Concerned Asian Pacific Islander Students for Action.
“There are a lot of issues in the community that we
sometimes forget about,” Mendoza said. “We are
privileged in a way where we can do things for other people. These
issues are affecting all communities, and we are responsible to
advocate for them.”