United Farm Workers President Arturo S. Rodriguez issued the following statement after the passage of the Dream Act in House of Representatives. The bill would give young undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship if they enroll in college or enlist in the military.
On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives recognized the national interest and acted justly by voting 216-198 to pass the DREAM Act. The House capped a 10-year effort by offering a qualified path to citizenship for thousands of our nation’s most promising young students who were brought to this country through no fault of their own. Nothing will contribute more to satisfying America’s pressing need for an educated work force motivated to serve country and community.
Farm workers from all over the nation joined students and other activists in Washington, D.C. to lobby members of Congress for both the DREAM Act and the broadly supported AgJOBS bill. Now we call on the U.S. Senate to ignore the dark forces of ignorance and intolerance, and finally make the DREAM Act law.