FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, March 24, 2011


New York, N.Y. The New York State Youth Leadership Council is proud and pleased to announce that today undocumented youth have prevailed. After the defeat of the federal version of the DREAM Act, which would have provided a path for citizenship to undocumented youth, the NYSYLC started an aggressive campaign to introduce and gather support for the first ever state version of the bill. Yesterday, State Senator Bill Perkins (District 30) introduced the New York DREAM Act (S. 4179), co-sponsored by State Senator Dan Squadron (District 25). This bill would provide benefits to New York undocumented youth who meet certain criteria. The benefits include access to financial aid for higher education, access to driver’s licenses, work authorization and access to health care. In order to qualify for these benefits, the young person must have arrived to the United States before the age of 16, be under the age of 35, have resided in New York State for at least two years, have obtained a high school diploma or GED equivalent from an American institution and have good moral character.

NYSYLC members welcomed the news with open arms and renewed their commitment to fight for their dreams. The New York DREAM Act will help undocumented youth achieve their educational and professional goals, and allow them to contribute to their communities. This is the first pro-immigrant bill that has been introduced in the state this year, and would provide much needed relief to immigrant communities.
What: Press conference on the New York DREAM Act

Where: NYSYLC office – 220 Fifth Ave, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10001

When: Wednesday, March 23, 2011 at 2.00pm

Why: The New York DREAM Act will provide access to undocumented youth to accomplish their dreams and contribute back to their communities

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The NYSYLC is a youth led organization that seeks to improve access to higher education and creating equal opportunity for immigrant youth and children of immigrants, regardless of immigration status through leadership development, organizing and advocacy.

Contact: info@nysylc.org

Twitter @nysylc Facebook www.facebook.com/nysylc www.nysylc.org

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