ACTION ALERT DREAM ACT

Dear LCLAA members,


This is a call to action on the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors known as the (DREAM) Act. If it's approved, this legislation would allow eligible students who entered the U.S. before age 16 and who have been in the United States for at least five years to earn legal status if they pass background checks, attend college, or serve in the military for at least two years.

The Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) recently announced that he would advance DREAM Act by introducing it this week as an amendment to the Department of Defense (DOD) authorization bill and we need your help in order to make legalization a reality for hundreds of thousands of immigrant youth, our youth. See the actions below and let us know who you've contacted and what their response has been. We thank you in advance for your calls and look forward to hearing from you!
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ACTION #1:
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In order to get to a vote on the DREAM Act we need to push these three Republican Senators to vote for “cloture” (the Motion to Proceed) on the defense authorization bill vote scheduled for Tuesday 9/21/10 at 2:15 ET. 60 votes are needed so please call!

Between now and 2pm TUE, please urge these Senators to VOTE YES on the Motion to Proceed:

REPUBLICANS
State Senators Phone Number Maine (ME) Snowe, Olympia (202) 224-5344 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202) 224-5344 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Maine (ME) Collins, Susan (202) 224-2523 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202) 224-2523 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Massachusetts (MA) Brown, Scott (202) 224-4543 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202) 224-4543 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

DEMOCRATS
State Senators Phone Number Nebraska (NE) Nelson, Ben (202) 224-6551 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202) 224-6551 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Virginia (VA) Webb, Jim (202) 224-4024 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202) 224-4024 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
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ACTION #2:
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Urge the following senators to support the Dream Act Amendment vote scheduled for Thursday 9/23/10

The vote to add the DREAM Act as an amendment to Department of Defense Authorization bill could happen as early as Wednesday and 60 votes are needed. Call your Senators!

REPUBLICANS
SENATORS
PHONE
Indiana (IN)
Lugar, Richard (202) 224-4814 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202) 224-4814 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Ohio (OH)
Voinovich, George (202) 224-3353 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202) 224-3353 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Florida (FL)
LeMieux, George (202) 224-3041 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202) 224-3041 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Massachusetts (MA)
Brown, Scott (202) 224-4543 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202) 224-4543 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Maine (ME)
Snowe, Olympia  (202) 224-5344 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202) 224-5344 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Maine (ME)
Collins, Susan (202) 224-2523 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202) 224-2523 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Kansas (KS)
Brownback, Sam (202) 224-6521 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202) 224-6521 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Alaska (AK)
Murkowski, Lisa (202) 224-6665 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202) 224-6665 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

New Hampshire (NH)
Gregg, Judd (202) 224-3324 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202) 224-3324 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

DEMOCRATS

Arkansas (AR) Pryor, Mark (202) 224-2353 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202) 224-2353 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Louisiana (LA) Landrieu, Mary (202) 224-5824 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202) 224-5824 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Missouri (MO) McCaskill, Claire (202) 224-6154 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202) 224-6154 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Nebraska (NE) Nelson, Ben (202) 224-6551 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202) 224-6551 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

North Carolina (NC) Hagan, Kay (202) 224-6342 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202) 224-6342 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

North Dakota (ND) Dorgan, Byron (202) 224-2551 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202) 224-2551 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

North Dakota (ND) Conrad, Kent (202) 224-2043 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202) 224-2043 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Virginia (VA) Webb, Jim (202) 224-4024 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202) 224-4024 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Washington (WA) Murray, Patty (202) 224-2621 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202) 224-2621 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Wisconsin (WI) Feingold, Russell (202) 224-5323 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202) 224-5323 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

When you contact your Senator’s office or leave a message:

State your name and where you are calling from

Tell the Senator you want them to vote yes on the motion to proceed on the defense authorization bill
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TALKING POINTS on the DREAM ACT
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The DREAM Act provides a path to citizenship for children who were brought to this country by no choice of their own.

The DREAM Act would legalize approximately 800, 000 young immigrants who entered the United States as children, have been raised here, have excelled in school, and are committed to continued academic attainment or service in our armed forces.

Passing the DREAM Act would allow a group of talented, multi-lingual and multi-cultural workers to contribute to our tax base and return the investment that taxpayers have made in the public education of these children.
  Many of these kids do not even realize they are “illegal” until years after they came to the U.S., before they can even remember. The U.S. is the only country they ever called home.

· Now they live in fear of deportation to a country where they may not have any family or have any connection to.

· These kids have the same hopes and dreams as any other kid in America. They want to make the most of their lives and give back to their country.

The DREAM Act IS NOT AMNESTY– eligibility requirements for legal status are strict and legal status must be earned.

· The DREAM Act does not provide automatic citizenship for these kids – legal status must be earned.

· Eligibility for legal status under the DREAM Act is strict. Kids must be physically present in the U.S. for at least 5 consecutive years prior to the date of enactment of the law. This will not be a magnet for more illegal immigration.

· Under the DREAM Act, only kids who were under 16 when they came to the U.S. are eligible for legal status. And those who are 35 at the time of enactment are no longer eligible.

· To earn legal status, young people must meet the DREAM Act’s high standards and work through a lengthy process that includes graduating from high school, being of good moral character, passing background tests and continuing their education at college or in the military.
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Andrea Delgado
Sr. Policy Analyst
Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA)
Consejo Sindical para el Avance del Trabajador Latinoamericano
office : 202-637-5120 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 202-637-5120 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
mobile: 631-456-1102 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 631-456-1102 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
adelgado@lclaa.org
http://www.lclaa.org/

ABOUT LCLAA: The Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) is a national organization that brings together Latino trade unionists in the United States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to strengthen the labor movement and promote the social, economic and political progress of Latino working families within our communities and our unions.LCLAA was founded in 1973 and advocates for the rights of all workers seeking justice in the workplace and their communities. LCLAA is a constituency group representing Latino workers in both the AFL-CIO and Change to Win Federation. Visit us at http://www.lclaa.org/