Senator Rodríguez statement supporting DREAM Act
AUSTIN— As a part of the national DREAM Act Day of Action, Senator José Rodríguez released the following statement:
“We teach our children to be responsible, productive citizens, yet there are many in our community who do just that and are then denied citizenship. These are young people who have worked hard and played by the rules; they sit in our churches and go to our schools, and now they’re graduating from universities in our state. We must show these kids that we support them by supporting the DREAM Act.
“The population of our state is rapidly changing — we live in a New Texas — and if we are to succeed, we must allow the estimated 258,000 DREAM Act beneficiaries to succeed. I strongly support our state continuing to allow undocumented students who have been raised in Texas to go to state colleges and universities and pay in-state tuition rates. Once they graduate, they need to be given the opportunity to become U.S. citizens.
“I urge the Republican members of our Texas congressional delegation to open their eyes and see the positive impact passing the DREAM Act will have in our state. This is a much-needed bill that would help deserving youth help themselves, while being an economic boon to our state and nation.”
The DREAM Act would help an estimated 2.1 million young people in the country earn a path to legalization through a higher education or military service. An estimated 258,000 – or 12 percent – of total DREAM Act beneficiaries live in Texas.
According to a UCLA study, over a 40 year period, DREAM Act beneficiaries would generate between $1.4 trillion and $3.6 trillion in income.
Texas state law allows undocumented students who have been raised in Texas to go to state colleges and universities and pay in-state tuition rates. Although this law has been in the books for over 10 years, many promising college students in Texas continue to graduate and cannot practice their professions in the U.S.