Thursday, November 01, 2007

Why DREAM?

Want to learn more about the DREAM Act?

Here's your opportunity! What follows is a press release from the Office of Hispanic Student Services at Southern Methodist University (SMU) here in Dallas.

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The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (D.R.E.A.M. Act) is bipartisan legislation in the Senate, sponsored by Richard Durbin (D-IL), Chuck Hagel (R-NE), and Richard Lugar (R-IN) and in the House, sponsored by Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Howard Berman (D-CA), and Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA). It addresses the situation faced by young people who were brought to the U.S. years ago as undocumented immigrant children but who have since grown up here; attended events in your community, played in the same recreational areas as yours and other children, attended the local public school institutions, and kept out of trouble.

In light of last Wednesday’s Senate vote of 52-44, which brought the Act to an end, the Law Offices of Eric Cedillo, the National Immigration Law Center (D.C.), and Southern Methodist University have joined forces to offer an information session and discussion panel with experts in the matter this evening, Thursday, November 1, 2007 from 7PM – 9 PM in the Hughes Trigg Student Center Forum on the campus of SMU.

We are honored to host guest speaker, Raymond Rico, a Policy Associate at the National Immigration Law Center (NILC). He has worked predominately on issues regarding comprehensive immigration reform, state and local laws pertaining to immigrants, researching and advocating against anti-immigrant legislation, and has most closely worked with a broad coalition of Washington D.C. based national organizations to educate and lobby congress and facilitates nationwide “United We DREAM National Coalition” meetings with state and local organizations to coordinate the national strategy to advocate for the DREAM Act.

Born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas’ predominately Latino “Villa Argentine” neighborhood, Raymond received Political Science and Latin American Studies degrees and a minor in Public Administration from the University of Kansas. Raymond previously worked in Kansas Governor, Kathleen Sebelius’ office, the Kansas Latino Affairs Commission advocating for the Kansas In-state-Tuition bill, and was selected as a fellow for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Fellowship Program.

Mr. Rico is joined by distinguished panelists: Adelfa Callejo, State Rep. Rafael Anchia, Professor Harold W. Standley (Latino Politics Professor SMU), and SMU and Dallas Area Student, Roberto Espinosa.

For more details, Contact: Silvia Bustos at 214.768.1126 or by email at sbustos@mail.smu.edu.



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