For many undocumented youth, the DREAM Act is a gateway to a better future. The legislation would allow these students to attend college, enlist in the military and have a path to citizenship.
In February, Penn President Amy Gutmann publicly voiced the University’s support for the legislation, and she should take this support further. Gutmann should use her influence as the head of one of the nation’s most prestigious higher-education institutions to intensely lobby Congress, and to get as many presidents of other colleges and universities as possible to do the same.
Efforts to facilitate the DREAM Act’s passage are all the more important now because of the midterm election results. The act will face challenges passing under the lame-duck Congress, and even more difficulty when the new Congress takes over in January. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he plans to vote on the act while the current Congress is in session, and he needs to act on this intention. But even after a vote on the DREAM Act is put on the calendar, it will need more support to pass.
The University has previously written letters to many area Congress members, but until the DREAM Act becomes law, there’s more work Penn can do. Immigration status shouldn’t prevent high schoolers from educational opportunities.
