Bipartisan Senate Leaders Urge Napolitano to Halt Deportation of DREAM Act-Eligible Students

Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., and Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., sent a joint letter Wednesday to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano requesting that the agency halt deportation of students who would be eligible for the DREAM Act pending enactment of the legislation. According to their letter, “the DREAM Act would provide immigration relief to a select group of students who arrived in the U.S. when they were 15 or under, have lived in the U.S. for at least five years, have good moral character, are not inadmissible or removable under a number of specified grounds, have graduated from high school or obtained a GED, and attend college or serve in the military for two years.”

In their letter, the senators expressed appreciation for the Obama administration’s support of the DREAM Act, but also stated, “However, pending enactment, individuals who would be eligible for the DREAM Act are subject to removal, and such cases are currently handled on an ad hoc basis.” The senators referred to a temporary moratorium on deportations of DREAM Act students through “deferred action” as a “common-sense, practical solution.” In lieu of congressional action on the DREAM Act, such an action would allow thousands of young people to finally live free from fear of being deported to a country they hardly remember.

The College Board commends Sens. Durbin and Lugar for their leadership. We urge the Obama administration not only to act favorably on this request, but also to step up its efforts to secure passage of the DREAM Act, which would provide long-term relief to these worthy students. 

Tom Rudin, senior vice president for advocacy, government relations and development at the College Board, applauded the senators’ actions, adding that “the DREAM Act would open the door to college and beyond for thousands of deserving, motivated students currently living in the United States. Congress should act immediately to pass this bipartisan legislation and give these young people the opportunity to contribute more fully to our nation.”