REFERENCE TITLE: dream act; urging adoption

State of Arizona Senate Fiftieth Legislature First Regular Session 2011

SCM 1004

Introduced by Senator Gallardo

 

A CONCURRENT MEMORIAL

 

urging the congress of the united states to introduce and adopt the dream act.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 

To the Members of the United States Congress:

Your memorialist respectfully represents:

Whereas, known as the Wilson Four, Oscar Corona, Jaime Damian, Yuliana Huicochea and Luis Nava were illegally brought to the United States from Mexico by their undocumented parents when they were children.  As successful high school students at Wilson Charter High School, they were competing in an international solar-powered boat competition in Buffalo, New York when they were detained by immigration officials at the United States-Canadian border in 2002.  An exhaustive legal struggle followed in which the children sought to be permitted to remain in the United States; and

Whereas, because of their plight, the Wilson Four have become synonymous with the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors, or DREAM, Act. First introduced in 2001, the bill would allow undocumented high school graduates who were brought to the United States as minors and who have lived here for at least five years to apply for legal status.  Although the bill has undergone several changes, including denying undocumented students federal education grants and placing them on an international student tracking system, it has yet to pass Congress; and

Whereas, it is estimated that more than 65,000 undocumented students graduate each year from American high schools.  Under current immigration laws, even bright and overachieving children, who have never known another home outside of this country, may be deported because of their parents' illegal action years ago.  The DREAM Act would fix a law that now forces these children to pay the price for their parents' mistakes and would instead allow them the opportunity to become contributing members of our society.

Wherefore your memorialist, the Senate of the State of Arizona, the House of Representatives concurring, prays:

1.  That the Congress of the United States introduce and enact the DREAM Act into law.

2.  That the Secretary of State of the State of Arizona transmit copies of this Memorial to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and each Member of Congress from the State of Arizona.