CALL IN DAY - AUG 3

Instructions:

On August 3^rd, call Senator Kay Hagan's office. Let her know that you support the DREAM Act and urge her to cosponsor the legislation! Her D.C. office number is 202-224-6342.

Suggested Script:

Hi! My name is [your name] and I am a voter from [name of hometown]. I am calling in conjunction with the Coalition for College Access, students and community members from across the state to urge the senator to cosponsor the DREAM Act, a bill that would allow high school graduates who were brought to the U.S. years ago as undocumented children to pursue their dreams and earn their way towards legal status. I support the DREAM Act because I believe that every child deserves a shot at a better future. However, under current law, many students in our high schools in North Carolina find that their options for higher education are limited upon graduation. [Add additional talking points].

While comprehensive immigration reform may be complicated, it is clear that the DREAM Act should pass with or without a larger bill.

I also urge the Senator to support the reinstatement of a provision to allow young people to earn legal status through two years of community service as an alternative to military service or higher education.

Can I count on Senator Hagan's support?

Thank you for your time and I look forward to your support.

General Talking Points:

1. Students who would qualify for the DREAM Act were brought to this country as children and call this country home. Many live in mixed status families and strive to keep their families together. We should not punish young people for being products of a broken immigration system.
   
2. Passing the DREAM Act will strengthen our economy. It will motivate students to finish high school, expand the pool of innovators that spark economic growth, and expand the tax base. State and local taxpayers have already invested in these children in elementary and secondary school and deserve to get a return on their investment.
   
3. The DREAM Act is about ensuring equal rewards for all students' hard work in school. Although undocumented high school students may work just as hard as their U.S. citizen peers in school, they currently do not face equal opportunities to make use of their education.
   
4. These are qualified students who would earn admissions to institutions of higher learning on their own merit. We should allow these students to reach their full potential as intellectuals and to contribute to society as much as they are able.

SEE OUR

Letter to the Editor!

Lee Storrow, political co-chair of UNC Young Democrats and a central coordinator of the campaign, had the following letter to the editor printed in the Greensboro News and Record

http://www.news-record.com/content/2009/07/10/article/immigrant_students_need_a_path_to_success

On June 23, I was fortunate enough to attend a rally in Greensboro at Sen. Kay Hagan’s office in support of the Dream Act (“Students protest outside Sen. Hagan’s office,” News & Record, June 24).

Students and activists spoke passionately about the legislation. I urge Sen. Hagan to support the bill, and I hope concerned citizens will call on Sen. Hagan to support the ideals of the Dream Act.
The Dream Act is a piece of federal legislation that will provide a path to citizenship for undocumented students who have completed college or the military.

Far too many students are brought to the United States at a young age by their parents and have no choice in the matter. After living here for more than a decade, many students have no choice but to return to their countries of origin, even though, for most, those countries are not their homes.

After our country has invested in students’ K-12 education, it is unwise to not provide those students with a way to stay in the country and contribute to the greater prosperity.

I hope Sen. Hagan will support this important legislation.

Lee Storrow
Chapel Hill

Mock Graduation Success!

Our Mock Graduation was an inspiring success!

The Greensboro News and Recorder estimated 150 attendees.

http://www.news-record.com/content/2009/06/24/article/students_protest_outside_sen_hagans_office


"Every year, brilliant minds and futures are wasted at dry cleaners, restaurants and construction sites"
-Nayely Perez-Huerta, commencement speaker

Call-In Day!

Instructions:

On July 2^rd and August 3^rd, call Senator Kay Hagan's office. Let her know that you support the DREAM Act and urge her to cosponsor the legislation! Her D.C. office number is 202-224-6342.

Suggested Script:

Hi! My name is [your name] and I am a voter from [name of hometown]. I am calling in conjunction with the Coalition for College Access, students and community members from across the state to urge the senator to cosponsor the DREAM Act, a bill that would allow high school graduates who were brought to the U.S. years ago as undocumented children to pursue their dreams and earn their way towards legal status. I support the DREAM Act because I believe that every child deserves a shot at a better future. However, under current law, many students in our high schools in North Carolina find that their options for higher education are limited upon graduation. [Add additional talking points].

While comprehensive immigration reform may be complicated, it is clear that the DREAM Act should pass with or without a larger bill.

I also urge the Senator to support the reinstatement of a provision to allow young people to earn legal status through two years of community service as an alternative to military service or higher education.

Can I count on Senator Hagan's support?

Thank you for your time and I look forward to your support.

General Talking Points:

1. Students who would qualify for the DREAM Act were brought to this country as children and call this country home. Many live in mixed status families and strive to keep their families together. We should not punish young people for being products of a broken immigration system.
   
2. Passing the DREAM Act will strengthen our economy. It will motivate students to finish high school, expand the pool of innovators that spark economic growth, and expand the tax base. State and local taxpayers have already invested in these children in elementary and secondary school and deserve to get a return on their investment.
   
3. The DREAM Act is about ensuring equal rewards for all students' hard work in school. Although undocumented high school students may work just as hard as their U.S. citizen peers in school, they currently do not face equal opportunities to make use of their education.
   
4. These are qualified students who would earn admissions to institutions of higher learning on their own merit. We should allow these students to reach their full potential as intellectuals and to contribute to society as much as they are able.

Common Criticisms of the DREAM Act + How to Respond

1. Claim: If the DREAM Act passes, then a greater number of students who are currently undocumented will be able to attend U.S. colleges and universities. This will take seats away from students who are U.S. citizens at those universities.
   
   1. Response: In a country where about 90% of the fastest-growing jobs in the future will require some post-secondary education, the number of university openings is bound to adjust to meet the demand for higher education. This is particularly true in the realm of private universities, which are quickly responsive to such market mechanisms. The world of higher education is neither static nor a zero-sum game. Rather, education is known to have positive spill-over effects on all of society.
      

      Moreover, for the sake of maintaining the principles of justice and equality, all young people who work hard in school and are qualified to go to college should be able to do so. It is unfair and un-American to suggest that only some students in our high schools can improve their lives through hard work and merit. Due to our dynamic educational system, ensuring that we respect these principals does not limit any student's opportunities, but rather expands access to educational opportunities.
      

2. Claim: The DREAM Act infringes on states' rights by making it hard for states to restrict in-state tuition to students residing in that state.
   
   1. Response: This is simply false. The DREAM Act overturns section 505 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, which forces those states that provide in-state benefits to students without regard for immigration status to also extend those benefits to out-of-state students. Some states have found an avenue around this law by offering in-state benefits to any individual who graduates from a high school within that state. The DREAM Act would simply allow states to avoid the requirements of this law altogether and provide in-state benefits only to in-state residents.
      
3. Claim: Any form of immigration reform, including the DREAM act, must be punitive. If immigrants are not punished for breaking U.S. immigration laws, then even more immigrants will seek to come to the United States.
   
   1. Response: Studies have shown that the effect of punitive enforcement of immigration laws on rates of migration is likely to be small simply because the causes of migration are systematic and unlikely to change significantly in the near future. Therefore, the United States should support initiatives like the DREAM Act that capitalize on immigration by educating immigrant children and allowing them to contribute to U.S. economic innovation and to expand the U.S. tax base.
      

      Moreover, the young people who would benefit from the DREAM Act often had no control over their parents' decision to bring them to this country. Nor did these children choose to be born to parents with few resources that would find it necessary to migrate away from their home country. It would be unfair to punish these young people for a problem they had no role in creating.
      

4. Claim: Allowing undocumented immigrants to attend colleges and get on a path to naturalization will have a negative fiscal impact and a negative effect on wages and our overall economy.
   
   1. Response: The economic impacts of allowing greater access to education would be significant. Not only would these young people contribute to economic innovation and leadership, they would also contribute significantly more to the U.S. tax base than they would if they remained in this country as undocumented workers. Moreover, the costs of not allowing these young people to pursue their dreams could be significant, since students will be less motivated to finish high school and go on to higher education when they cannot get a job worthy of that degree. Studies have shown that high school drop-outs earn less on average than do high school and college graduates. The DREAM Act could contribute to reducing the drop-out rate and encourage students to pursue education.
      
5. Claim: The DREAM Act provides undocumented immigrants with a federal benefit.
   
   1. Response: This is false. The DREAM Act does not make undocumented students eligible for federal financial aid.

Email blurb -- send to your listserves!

Mock Graduation in Support of DREAM Act
June 23, 5 pm
Kay Hagan's office, Greensboro, NC

At 5 PM on June 23rd, students and community members from across our state will meet in front of Kay Hagan's office in Greensboro to demonstrate their support for the DREAM Act, a federal bill that provides a path to naturalization for U.S.-raised undocumented students. If passed, the DREAM Act would ensure that all students can benefit equally from their hard work in school. The demonstration will take the form of a mock graduation ceremony, so bring caps and gowns if possible to show your solidarity with students who are still faceless before the law.

Kay Hagan's office is located at:
701 Green Valley Road, Suite 201
Greensboro, NC 27408


For any additional information about the demonstration or the DREAM Act, email summerdreamnc@gmail.com.

Organizing Tips

Now that you’ve agreed to participate in the campaign, you might be wondering how to begin your organizing work.

Here’s a suggested To Do list:

1. Email your organization’s members, volunteers and/or supporters telling them about the June 23^rd demonstration. Here is a sample note:

Hi all!

I wanted to let you know about an important event coming up. At 5PM on June 23^rd, students and community members from across our state will meet in front of Kay Hagan’s office in Greensboro to demonstrate their support for the DREAM Act, a federal bill that provides a path to naturalization for U.S.-raised undocumented students. If passed, the DREAM Act would ensure that all students can benefit equally from their hard work in school. The demonstration will take the form of a mock graduation ceremony, so bring caps, gowns and masks if possible to show your solidarity with students who are still faceless before the law.

Kay Hagan’s office is located at:

701 Green Valley Road, Suite 201

Greensboro, NC 27408

If you need a ride or can drive people to the demonstration, please email [*write in the email of a member of your organization*]. We will meet at [*write in a meeting time*] at [*write in location*]. If you cannot come but would like to donate a cap and gown for demonstrators to wear, you can drop them off at [*write in drop-off location*].

For any additional information about the demonstration or the DREAM Act, email summerdreamnc@gmail.com.

[*your favorite greeting*],

[*your name*]

2. To organize a June 23^rd group from your organization, you might want to:

a. Coordinate rides. Set up a meeting location and time and solicit drivers in your email.

b. Solicit cap and gown donations. Identify a place (like your organization’s office) where people can drop off caps and gowns and a person who can pick them up and take them to the demonstration for your organization to wear.

c. Set up a time to make banners and signs for the demonstration with your organization.

d. Talk with your organization’s youth group leader about including the young people.

3. Ways you can help us publicize both the June 23^rd Mock Graduation and our postcard campaign:

1. Make announcements at smaller meetings, like bible study or work groups.
2. Put the Mock Graduation on your organization’s events calendar
3. Check out your local community calendar. See if there are any large or mid-sized events you could get postcard signatures with a group of volunteers. Even if you think you can't organize a group of volunteers for the event, let us know about it!
4. Place our fliers on bulletin boards or in resource areas.

Get Involved!

Get Involved!

We would love to get any and all the support your community can offer! Below is a list of key events that you can participate in this summer.

What you can do:

Help us collect postcard signatures!

Gather a small group of volunteers from your organization and attend one of the events on the cam-paign calendar in your area to collect postcard signatures. Alternatively, set up a table at another local event that your organization knows about, such as a summer festival, 4th of July celebration, or road race. You can also get your membership to sign the cards. Let us know which events you will attend and how many postcards you will need so that we can mail you an accurate number. Then send the postcards to the address below and we will send them all to Kay Hagan’s office.

Participate in a state-wide call-in day!

We will be calling on our local partners to organize their members to call Kay Hagan’s office and urge her to cosponsor the DREAM Act on two days throughout the summer: July 3rd and August 3rd. Organize your membership, friends and family to make these calls as well.

Attend our mock graduation ceremony in Greensboro at 5PM on June 23rd!

Stand in solidarity at a graduation ceremony in front of Kay Hagan’s office in Greensboro. College and high school students will be wearing caps, gowns and face masks, demonstrating our solidar-ity with those who are faceless and nameless before the law. Face masks are also a way to cover our identities in case of media attention, so that everyone feels comfortable attending the event. Please see the attached flier for additional information about this event.

Tell Kay Hagan what your organization has done, and why!

Regardless of how you choose to become involved, please write Kay Hagan a letter from your organization telling her about your actions and outlining the reasons why this issue matters to your community in particular. These letters are critical to demonstrating the diversity of support for the DREAM Act.

Please contact summerdreamnc@gmail.com if you have any questions or would like to commit to participating in the campaign!

THANKS!!!

DREAM Act Facts

What is the DREAM Act?

Students qualify for the DREAM Act if they:

• entered the country before the age of 16;

• graduate high school or obtain a GED;

• have good moral character (no criminal record); and

• have at least five years of continuous presence in the US.

If a student meets the above criteria, once the DREAM Act passes, they will then have six years within which to attend at least two years of college or complete two years of military service. Thereafter, the student will gain the chance to adjust their conditional permanent residency to U.S. citizenship.

What is the relationship between the DREAM Act and state legislation?

The DREAM Act does not force states to admit undocumented students into public colleges and universities. However, current regulations that ban the admission of undocumented students into these institutions would no longer apply to students who are able to gain legal status through the DREAM Act.

Moreover, the DREAM Act would repeal section 505 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA), which currently discourages states from providing in-state tuition or other higher education benefits without regard to immigration status. Under section 505, states that provide a higher education benefit based on residency to undocumented immigrants must provide the same benefit to U.S. citizens in the same circumstances, regardless of their state of residence. Since section 505 became law, ten states have enacted laws permitting anyone, including undocumented immigrants, who attended and graduated from high school in the state to pay the in-state rate at public colleges and universities. These states all pay the section 505 penalty by providing the same in-state discount rate to current residents of other states who previously went to high school and graduated in the state. The DREAM Act would repeal this penalty. This would not require states to provide in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants, but rather would restore this decision to the states without encumbrance (from the Nation Immigration Law Center, www.nilc.org).

What do the numbers say?

The DREAM Act would yield returns on money that we have already invested in students over the course of elementary and high school. Moreover, by ensuring equal rewards in the workforce to all students who work hard in school, the DREAM Act will help motivate younger students to stay in school, thus positively affecting the future American tax base. Specifically, a study by Columbia University’s Teachers College states that “America loses $192 billion–1.6% of GDP–in combined income and tax revenue with each cohort of 18-year-olds who never complete high school.” Furthermore, a RAND study showed that a 30-year-old Mexican immigrant woman who graduates from college will pay $5,300 more in taxes and cost $3,900 less in government expenses each year than if she had dropped out of high school. This amounts to an annual fiscal benefit of over $9,000 every year. Finally, these students will contribute significantly to the Social Security system. The National Foundation for American Policy calculated that “over the next 50 years, new legal immigrants entering the United States will provide a net benefit of $407 billion in present value to America’s Social Security system” (from www.nilc.org).