Congratulation to POSSE Recipient Rose Pierre-Louis

Annually, MIRA nominates up to ten students as candidates to a full four-year college scholarship, given out by the POSSE Foundation. The competition is fierce, and we understand that the chance of winning is slim. Nevertheless, in 2010 MIRA nominated seven students from different high schools. One young Haitian immigrant, Rose Pierre-Louis, was chosen to receive the award, which will fund her full education at an excellent school -- an achievement no less amazing than her whole life story. For all she has done, we congratulate Rose, and proudly relate her story.

Rose was brought from Haiti at age five by her parents, who hoped she would have a better chance at an education in the U.S. She was just starting first grade when she arrived, and were it not for her mother’s support, the transition would have been a major challenge. “Some afternoons she’d help me and explain the days in English, and help me count in English, " Rose says. "I knew basic things, but had a challenge when I started school”.

Rose also has three brothers living in Haiti, and one sister born in the US. The separation from her siblings was difficult, and made much harder later with the earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010. Still, she looks to her brothers for inspiration, while doing the best to be an example for her younger sister.

In seventh grade, Rose was accepted at a prestigious public school in the city, and she underwent another transition. Having spent most of her education in Catholic school, where the ethnic composition was usually Haitian or West Indian, she found moving to the public school system a cultural and educational shock. She was able to maneuver herself around, and use her friendly, respectful persona to win new and lasting friendships.

As the college process began, Rose underwent the all-too-common experience of seeing the future almost slip from her grasp. “The college search is extremely stressful," she explains. "Everyone said do early decision, and so I did, but I started looking for how to pay first. I was looking at scholarships since sophomore year. At first, I’d get really excited and say ‘I can do this easily!’ But then at the very end of every scholarship application, there it was: 'You must be a U.S. Citizen or a Legal Permanent Resident.'"

As a Temporary Protected Status holder, she could not meet the scholarships' standard requirements (though TPS is a legal status, it has several limitations). “A lot of the colleges were expensive, and financial aid was always for citizens or residents," Rose continued. "Mom asked me to apply to schools she could pay for." But still, her dream was to attend "a small liberal arts school.”

MIRA had been in conversation with several schools, looking to nominate immigrant students who would otherwise struggle with access to higher education. A councilor from Rose's school mentioned her more than once as a top student, whose desire to succeed was evident in her work as a tutor and a peer adviser to her friends. While this nomination process was taking place, Rose told us that she and her family even came to the point of fighting over the schools she could apply to.

After being nominated and going through the process of selection, Rose was given the final interview date. She and another five Haitians were all trying for POSSE, altogether afraid that, because of diversity, the foundation would only pick one Haitian student. The day that all the interviews were done, Rose went home, not expecting to hear for some time about the results. “I got home at seven, and about an hour later they called me to say I would get it," Rose says. "From these kids I was with on the interview day, four of us got the scholarship.”

POSSE will send Rose to Bryn Mawr, her top choice. She is thinking of a double major in biology and English. The new school will once again be a complete change in environment. She's looking forward to being in a place where all the students are women, who will mingle with different faiths, different points of views, etc.

Her family has been very supportive, “I love them, they are just so great about it.” Her father is extremely happy. Her three brothers all have degrees, and now they can rejoice their sister will soon have one too. The feeling is simple and profound; there are several hands placed in her back supporting her, blessing her. She is becoming that exact role model for her younger sister who was born here in the U.S. Things may be simpler for her, but Rose continues to be the best person she can be; following by example, leading by example.

Congratulations Rose Pierre-Louis!

DREAM Act Now!

The DREAM has been deferred for more than a decade.

Now is the time to act.

The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act is federal legislation that would provide qualified undocumented US high school students to earn legal residency by serving in U.S. Armed Forces or attend college for at least two years.

While Massachusetts continues to deliberate whether to allow undocumented graduates of its high schools to pay the in-state rate at public colleges and universities, several other states have sparked the debate around immigrants and higher education. Georgia banned undocumented students from its most popular public universities this year. Conversely, California’s supreme court recently ruled unanimously to protect its in-state tuition policy (which 10 other states including Texas already have).

Once again, instead of making progress on educating this group of youths, Washington faces a gridlocked Congress on the issue. The Migration Policy Institute estimates that 2.1m people nationwide, almost one million of whom are under 18, would be eligible to apply for conditional legal status under the DREAM Act. After being introduced in the past ten years, the DREAM was tied to the fate of other bills, procedures, and politics. It will finally be voted on this week as a stand-alone bill.

The DREAM Act will not only incentivize education and military service, both of which are smart ways to prepare talented and engaged new citizens, but also develop an already-motivated group of students to contribute to our economy. Most importantly, the DREAM Act will offer these students, who are American in every sense except for their legal status, a chance to learn, serve and add to America’s rich tradition of welcoming all those who work hard.

DREAMers have organized a week of action around the nation, prompting a chorus of support from businesses, faith communities, universities, and advocates – and a spectrum of editorial voices, including: Wall Street Journal, New York Times, LA Times, Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe, The Economist, FOX News, Washington Post

Please join the Student Immigrant Movement, dozens of organizations and hundreds of DREAM Activists near the Boston Common 11/29: DREAM Act Rally: 3-6 PM @ 138 Tremont Street, Boston

For MA residents, call your legislators now: 1-866-996-5161

• Thank all MA members of congress and Senator Kerry.
• Urge Senator Brown to vote 'YES'
• For other senators representing New England, visit: http://dreamact.info/advocacy/senators

Education Opportunity Hearing Wednesday!

The Education Opportunity Act has a public hearing this Wednesday at 1pm in room B-2 of the Statehouse. This common sense piece of legislation has been passed in 10 states, including Texas, Kansas, Utah, California, Wisconsin, Illinois, New York, New Mexico, and Nebraska, and has the potential to generate an additional $2.5 million for the Commonwealth. So please come out and ensure that your voice is heard on this important piece of legislation, and help kids fulfill their own American dream!

Massachusetts Immigrants by the Numbers: Demographic Characteristics and Economic Footprint

The Immigrant Learning Center, Inc. of Malden recently published its report on the demographics and economic statistics of the immigrant community of Massachusetts. The report was prepared by The Institute for Asian American Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

MIRA Coalition is very pleased with the results. One of the goals of the Immigrant Learning Center is to raise the visibility of immigrants as assets to America, and the report has surly helped do so in Massachusetts. The report touches on many statistics about the state’s immigrant community, which makes up 14.1% of Massachusetts residents. These statistics range from those on education levels to social services received by and income tax percentages generated by immigrants.

One of the most emphasized sections of the report is that on labor force growth due to immigration. The report states that in 2007 21.6% of the Massachusetts population between 25 and 44 were immigrants, meaning that this population will be filling the positions left by retiring baby boomers and therefore paying a higher percentage of taxes. Even today, immigrants pay higher into the state income tax system, yet receive social services and transfer payments at similar levels as natives.

Eva Millona, the Executive Director of MIRA, says that the report “shows was MIRA has always contended-that immigrants play a major role in the economic and cultural life of our commonwealth…They pay into the system and take out of the system at about the same rate as the native-born population.” MIRA hopes that this report will influence and state lawmakers to move in a positive direction on issues of immigration – such as passing the Governor’s supplementary budget that will partially restore the drastic CommCare cuts discussed in our BlueMass group post and website.

MIRA's Analysis of FY10 Final House Budget

The House Committee on Ways & Means released the House Ways & Means version of the budget on April 15, 2009. Over the next two weeks, Representatives filed and debated amendments to the budget, before passing the final version of the House budget on Friday, May 1st.

Considering the current fiscal realities in Massachusetts and across the U.S., it is difficult to determine and define success this year. Furthermore, with revenue projections decreasing by the day and an estimated $456 million shortfall in April revenue, there will be more cuts ahead in the not too distant future, and the Senate will likely have fewer funds to work with than their counterparts in the House.

Nearly all programs and line items across the final House budget received cuts, including many of MIRA’s budget priorities. Some of MIRA’s priorities received minor cuts, others received larger cuts, and one program was completely eliminated from the final House budget. Of the five amendments filed on behalf of MIRA’s priorities, only two were added to the budget, and one of those was at half the desired level. Still, in this economic climate, every victory is important.

One important victory took place when an anti-immigrant amendment (Amendment #287 filed by Rep. Perry of Sandwich) that would have increased citizenship and immigration status verification requirements was voted down and replaced by a cost-benefit study that keeps the amendment out of the budget. The anti-immigrant amendment was defeated by a margin of 116-40. Numerous Representatives spoke up against the amendment on the floor and leadership assured its defeat. Please thank those who both supported our budget priorities and voted down the anti-immigrant amendment. We must be ready for similar anti-immigrant amendments in the Senate, where they have been successful in the past.

The following is an analysis of how MIRA’s budgetary priorities fared in the final House budget:

The Citizenship for New Americans Program (CNAP) (Line item 4003-0122) was funded at $500,000 in the final House budget, which represents a $80,000 cut from the Governor’s House 1 budget recommendation of $580,000 and a decrease of $110,000 from post-9C levels in FY09. MIRA thanks the House Ways & Means Committee for providing funding at levels equal to FY08, particularly considering the budget climate. Please thank Rep. Tony Cabral of New Bedford at 617-722-2017 for filing an amendment that would have increase citizenship funding.

The final House budget includes $28,085,646 for Adult Basic Education and English for Speakers of Other Languages (Line item 7035-0002), which represents a reduction of more than $3 million from FY09 levels of $31.1 million, a reduction of $1.9 million after this year’s 9-C cuts brought the value down to $29.9 million, and a cut of more than $1.1 million from the Governor’s recommendation of $29,223,195. MIRA and its allies are asking for funding at FY08 levels of $30.1 million. During times of economic crisis, MIRA and its allies feel that investing in the education and English language skills of the Commonwealth’s workforce and residents is a sound investment. The ABE/ESOL line item has been hit by a number of cuts in the last year, which total $3 million. Because everyone in the Commonwealth benefits from investments in our workforce, particularly in difficult economic times, we hope that the Senate budget recognizes this by funding ABE and ESOL at $30.1 million. Please thank Representative Frank Smizik of Brookline at 617-722-2676 and Representative Linda Dean Campbell of Methuen at 617-722-2877 for filing amendments that would have increased funding for ABE/ESOL.

The Workforce Training Fund (WTF) was funded at $21 million (line item 7003-0701) in the final House budget, after Representatives Coakley-Rivera and Rodrigues had their amendments added to the budget to increase the line item by $6 million. The Governor also proposed $21 million in the House 1 budget and MIRA was asking for full funding at $21 million to help facilitate the implementation of a Dedicated Fund for Workplace ABE/ESOL that combines funding from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s workplace education grants with funds from the WTF to create a single, streamlined fund that expands resources for workplace ABE/ESOL. The WTF is funded 100% through a tax on employers and, thus, does not impact funding of the General Fund. Please thank Representatives Coakley-Rivera of Springfield at 617-722-2014 and Representative Rodrigues of Westport at 617-722-2230 for filing amendments to fully fund the Workforce Training Fund at $21 million.

The line item containing the Refugee and Immigrant Safety and Empowerment (RISE) Program (4513-1130) was funded at $5,108,264 in the final House budget, down from nearly $6.4 million in FY09. The impact of the 20% cut on the RISE program will not be known until after the budget process, since the funds in the line item are disbursed through the Department of Public Health. As a result, it is currently unknown how the reduced funding will impact immigrants and refugees’ access to culturally and linguistically-appropriate domestic violence and sexual assault services, although language ensures the program will continue. The $300,000 set-aside for services for immigrants and refugees was eliminated, with the only positive coming in the language of the line item, which remains broad and inclusive of all immigrants. MIRA and its allies had been asking for level-funding of the line item at $6.4 million with $1,319,854 going to RISE. Please thank Representative Liz Malia of Boston at 617-722-2060 and Representative Driscoll of Braintree at 617-722-2396 for filing amendments to either increase funding for RISE and/or the line item.

The MassHealth Outreach and Enrollment Grants line item (4000-0352) was eliminated from the final House budget. The elimination of the line item reflects the Governor’s House 1 budget. MIRA and its allies are asking for level-funding at $3.5 million. Federal matching funds cover 60.2% (or $2.1 million) of the total in the line item, with the Commonwealth only responsible for $1.4 million. Unfortunately, the Governor and the House have failed to understand the importance of the grants to helping hard-to-reach populations, including immigrant communities and limited English proficient residents, retain coverage throughout the confusing enrollment reverification process. MIRA feels that the elimination of the line item will do nothing to reduce costs in the budget, as costly turnover in the system will increase, valuable time and energy will be lost navigating an incredibly complex system in which outreach and enrollment grantees have valuable expertise, and emergency room usage will increase. Please thank Representative Jim O’Day of Worcester at 617-722-2220 and Representative John Scibak of South Hadley at 617-722-2370 for filing amendments that would have reinstated the line item at $3.5 million.

Anti-immigrant Amendment #287, filed by Rep. Perry of Sandwich, that would have unnecessarily changed citizenship documentation and immigration status verification procedures at benefit-granting agencies for all federal and state benefits was defeated. Representative Alice Wolf of Cambridge offered a further amendment that called for a cost-benefit analysis of immigrants in the Commonwealth, a legislative maneuver that keeps the anti-immigrant amendment out of the budget. Aside from opposing the fundamental premise upon which Amendment #287 was filed—the assumption that benefit fraud from undocumented immigrants is widespread—MIRA and its allies fought anti-immigrant Amendment #287 because research has shown that increased citizenship documentation requirement disproportionately impact low-income U.S. citizens; require additional funding for outreach and education on new procedures and, as a result, represented an unfunded mandate; and our belief that current documentation and immigration status verification procedures already disenfranchise enough immigrant families who are eligible for federal and state benefits, among other reasons. Please review how your Representative voted and make sure they supported Rep. Wolf’s amendment by voting “Yea;” if they voted “Nay” please contact them to express your concerns and ask for their reasoning. Please also thank Representatives Wolf, Cabral, Swan, Bosley, Toomey, Sanchez, St. Fleur, and O’Flaherty who spoke on the floor against Amendment #287 and in favor of Rep. Wolf’s study.

Now, the budget process moves on to the Senate. The following is the projected timeline of the Senate budget:

May 13^th or 14^th: Senate Ways & Means releases its budget

May 15^th at 5pm: Deadline for filing amendments

May 19^th or 20^th: Begin budget debate

May 21^st: Finish budget debate

Please contact your Senator to urge them to support immigrant communities throughout the Commonwealth by co-sponsoring and supporting the line items and amendments for MIRA’s budgetary priorities. Below is the contact information for Senators as well as Senate leadership:

General Number: 617-722-2000

Senate Chairman of Ways & Means Panagiotakos: 617-722-1630

Senate President Murray: (617) 722-1500

If you do not know who your State Representative and/or Senator are, please visit: http://www.wheredoivotema.com.

For questions or more information, please contact Toby Guevin, MIRA’s State Policy Director, at tguevin@miracoalition.org or 617-350-5480 x216.

NY Times Article Highlights Struggles of Mixed-Status Families; Report Laments Barriers to Higher Ed Access Faced by Undocumented Students

A New York Times article over the weekend chronicled the challenges faced by mixed-status families, including the economic, social, and emotional strain of straddling two separate worlds within a single family.

A new report on higher ed access for undocumented students was released by a University of Washington professor. The report laments the "wasted talent" of high-achieving undocumented students being denied equal access to higher education because they are forced to pay out-of-state tuition rates, which are as much as three times in-state rates. To compund the high prices of out-of-state tuition costs at public colleges, undocumented students do not qualify for federal financial aid and many other loan and grant programs.

Here are some DREAM Act (federal version of education equality legislation) videos that show the students our state and public college system is missing out on:






- Toby

ACTION ALERT! MIRA's Budget Amendments

MIRA FY10 House Amendments

The following is a list of amendments that are being filed on MIRA’s budgetary priorities. Please contact your Representatives TODAY and ask them to co-sponsor the following amendments:

Citizenship for New Americans Program (CNAP) (Line item 4003-0122) was funded at $500,000 in the House Ways & Means budget, which represents a $80,000 cut from the Governor’s House 1 budget recommendation of $580,000 and a decrease of $150,000 from FY09. This represents a decrease of more than 25% from FY09

• Please contact Representative Cabral’s Office at 617-722-2017 to co-sponsor an amendment increasing the funding for citizenship to $580,000, equal to the Governor’s budget recommendation.

Adult Basic Education and English for Speakers of Other Languages (Line item 7035-0002) The House Ways & Means budget included $28,085,646 for, which represents a reduction of more than $3 million from FY09 levels of $31.1 million and $2 million from FY08.

• Please contact Representative Smizik at 617-722-2676 and Representative Campbell at 617-722-2877 to co-sponsor their amendments to fund the ABE/ESOL line item at FY08 levels of $30.1 million.

The line item (4513-1130) that includes the Refugee and Immigrant Safety and Empowerment (RISE) Program took a severe cut of over 40% down to $4,058,264 from nearly $6.4 million.

• Please contact the office of Representative Driscoll at 617-722-2396 to support an amendment increasing the 4513-1130 line item to the Governor’s recommended level of $6.4 million.
• Please contact the office of Representative Malia at 617-722-2060 to co-sponsor an amendment increasing RISE and line item 4513-1130 funding by $300,000.

The MassHealth Outreach and Enrollment Grants line item (4000-0352) was eliminated from the House Ways & Means budget.

• Please contact the office of Representatives O’Day at 617-722-2220 and Representative Scibak at 617-722-2370 to co-sponsor amendments to reinstate the line item at $3.5 million.

If you do not know who your State Representative and/or Senator are, please visit: http://www.wheredoivotema.com.

For questions, contact Toby Guevin, State Policy Director, at 617-350-5480 x216 or tguevin@miracoalition.org

State Budget Update

The FY10 House Ways & Means Budget dropped yesterday with drastic cuts to most programs and services, including the elimination of many line items. To view MIRA's analysis of the HW&M budget on its budgetary priorities, click here. For a more comprehensive analysis of other important benefits, programs, and services, view the Mass Law Reform Budget analysis here or the MA Budget and Policy Center analysis here.

The drastic cuts highlight need for increased revenue. As part of the Stop the Cuts Coalition, MIRA will be pushing for new revenue from the state to reduce the cuts that imperil numerous essential services.

Please stay tuned to the blog for frequent updates and action alerts on amendments that are being filed. Below is the analysis in text format:

MIRA FY10 House Ways & Means Budget Analysis

On April 15, 2009, the House Committee on Ways & Means released the House Ways & Means version of the budget. Considering the current fiscal realities in Massachusetts and across the U.S., returns were mixed with all program receiving cuts of different degrees and one being completely eliminated. Many of the immigrant community’s friends and allies have been hit hard by the House Ways & Means budget. Local aid has been cut significantly and other essential programs and services have been slashed or eliminated. As a member of the Stop the Cuts Coalition, MIRA will work actively to reduce the cuts and support new revenues. The following is an analysis of how the House Ways & Means budget impacted each of MIRA’s budgetary priorities:

The Citizenship for New Americans Program (CNAP) (Line item 4003-0122) was funded at $500,000 in the House Ways & Means budget, which represents a $80,000 cut from the Governor’s House 1 budget recommendation of $580,000 and a decrease of $150,000 from FY09. CNAP was also impacted by this year’s 9C cuts, losing over $40,000. MIRA thanks the House Ways & Means Committee for providing funding at levels equal to FY08, particularly considering the budget climate, but we hope to increase funding through the amendment process and Senate budget. Next Steps: MIRA is working with leaders in the House on strategy around an amendment and will send out an alert as soon as possible.

The House Ways & Means budget included $28,085,646 for Adult Basic Education and English for Speakers of Other Languages (Line item 7035-0002), which represents a reduction of more than $3 million from FY09 levels of $31.1 million, a reduction of $1.9 million after this year’s 9-C cuts brought the value down to $29.9 million, and a cut of more than $1.1 million from the Governor’s recommendation of $29,223,195. MIRA and its allies are asking for funding at FY08 levels of $30.1 million. During times of economic crisis, MIRA and its allies feel that investing in the education and English language skills of the Commonwealth’s workforce and residents is a sound investment. The ABE/ESOL line item has been hit by a number of cuts in the last year, which total $3 million. Because everyone in the Commonwealth benefits from investments in our workforce, particularly in difficult economic times, we hope that the Senate budget recognizes this by funding ABE and ESOL at $30.1 million. Next Steps: MIRA, with support of allies like MA Coalition for Adult Education (MCAE), are discussing strategy and potential amendments. Please be on the lookout for further information in the coming days.

The Workforce Training Fund (WTF) was funded at $15 million (line item 7003-0701), a decrease of $6 million from FY09 but an increase of $3 million after the Governor’s FY09 9-C cuts. The Governor proposed $21 million in the House 1 budget and MIRA was asking for full funding at $21 million to help facilitate the implementation of a Dedicated Fund for Workplace Education that combines funding from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s workplace education grants with funds from the WTF to create a single, streamlined fund that expands resources for workplace education.

The line item containing the Refugee and Immigrant Safety and Empowerment (RISE) Program (4513-1130) took a severe cut of over 40% down to $4,058,264 from nearly $6.4 million. MIRA is investigating the impact of this figure on the RISE program, as it is currently unknown how the reduced funding will impact immigrants and refugees’ access to culturally and linguistically-appropriate domestic violence and sexual assault services. The earmark for services for immigrants and refugees was eliminated for a cut of at least $300,000, with the only positive coming in the language of the line item, which remains strong. MIRA and its allies had been asking for level-funding of the line item at $6.4 million with $1,319,854 going to RISE. Next Steps: Representative Liz Malia of Boston will be filing an amendment for RISE.

The MassHealth Outreach and Enrollment Grants line item (4000-0352) was eliminated from the House Ways & Means budget. The elimination of the line item reflects the Governor’s House 1 budget. MIRA and its allies are asking for level-funding of $3.5 million. Unfortunately, the Governor and now House Ways & Means have failed to understand the importance of the grants to helping hard-to-reach populations, including immigrant communities and limited English proficient residents, retain coverage throughout the confusing enrollment reverification process. MIRA feels that the elimination of the line item will do nothing to reduce costs in the budget, as costly turnover in the system will increase and valuable time and energy will be lost navigating an incredibly complex system in which outreach and enrollment grantees have valuable expertise. The grants are also matched at 50% by the federal government, so the cost to the Commonwealth would only be $1.75 million. Next Steps: Representative O’Day will be filing an amendment in the House to reinstate the line item at $3.5 million.

Please contact your Representative or Senator to urge them to support immigrant communities throughout the Commonwealth by co-sponsoring the amendments for MIRA’s budgetary priorities. Below is the contact information for Representatives and Senators as well as House and Senate leadership:

General Number: 617-722-2000

Speaker DeLeo: 617-722-2500

Senate Chairman of Ways & Means Panagiotakos: 617-722-1630

Senate President Murray: (617) 722-1500

If you do not know who your State Representative and/or Senator are, please visit: http://www.wheredoivotema.com. For more information or questions, please contact Toby Guevin at tguevin@miracoalition.org or 617-350-5480 x216.

Speaker DeLeo Discusses MA State Budget Crisis; Budget Advocacy Efforts Essentail

Speaker Robert DeLeo discussed the budget crisis today, as covered by the Boston Globe. With the dire budget situation, advocacy becomes increasingly important. The MIRA Coalition, through a variety of feedback mechanisms (survey, one-on-ones, conference calls, etc.), developed its state advocacy agenda for 2009. All legislators at the MA State House have received a copy of the agenda and a letter detailing MIRA's budget priorities.


In terms of the budget, MIRA continues its advocacy efforts on the following budge items:

• Maintain funding for the Citizenship for New Americans Program (line item: 4003-0122) at $650,000;

• Fund Adult Basic Education (ABE) and English for Speakers of Other Languages (line item7035-0002) at its FY’08 level of $30.1 million;

• Implement the Dedicated Fund for Workplace ABE and ESOL, as recommended by the MA Workforce Investment Board, including full funding for the Workplace Training Fund;

• Fund the Refugee and Immigrant Safety and Empowerment Program (within line item: 4513-1130) at $300,000 with no change to the FY09 line item language;

• Fund MassHealth Outreach and Enrollment Grants (line item 4000-0352) at $3.5 million; and

• Continue support for the New Americans Agenda.

If you are interested in getting involved in advocacy efforts with MIRA, please contact MIRA's State Legislative Director. If you would like to contact your legislator(s) to support MIRA's budget priorities, you can find there information by visiting here. For an analysis of the impact of the Governor's House 1 budget on immigrants and refugees, click here.

Stay tuned for action alerts in the coming weeks.

Weekend Roundup: Argument for DREAM Act Personified; Remittances in Tough Economy

Sunday's Boston Globe features an article highlighting the impact of the economy on remittances. Despite the sharp economic downturn, global remittances are only expected to decline by 5-8% as migrants dip into their savings to keep their relatives above water oversees. This quote sums it up:

"It's not an option not to send money," said Fatou Diop, a Senegalese immigrant who works as a community liaison at African Services Committee, a non-profit group in Harlem, New York. "When it's hard here, it's horrible in Africa."

Saturday's New York Times had a terrific Op-Ed on the importance of passing the DREAM Act, federal legislation that would give high-achieving undocumented students a pathway to higher education and citizenship. The story of Benita Veliz highlights to barriers undocumented youth face in accessing higher education and, with it, opportunities for professional and personal growth. How a nation can turn down the potential of an entire group of people and relegate them to low-wage jobs is beyond understanding. As the baby boomer generation continues to retire in large numbers, will the U.S. realize too late the wealth of potential that currently resides in the shadows?

...Ms. Veliz is a poster child for the Dream Act, but hardly the only one. For every Benita Veliz, she said, there many others who dropped out because they saw no point in getting a college degree. They are working in low-wage jobs, off the books, their bright futures prematurely dead-ended.

Ms. Veliz’s voice cracks when talking about her case, but she gets excited when asked about her dreams. The words just tumble out:

“I would like to go to law school and be an attorney for a few years, and then after that get into politics on a Congressional level, either senator or representative. I’ve actually always wanted to do international relations, get a master’s in international relations, with a law degree. I would want to do international law, or immigration law, but not really just that, but that’s just one small sort of thing in the long spectrum of things.”

It's time to pass the DREAM Act. Now.

Press Statement: DREAM Act Reintroduced to Congress

Boston, MA- Scheduled to be introduced today, the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act is bipartisan legislation that addresses the hardships faced by young people who were brought to the United States years ago as undocumented immigrant children, and who have since grown up here, stayed in school, and are strong members of our communities. For the first time, the DREAM Act also enjoys the strong backing of the House and Senate leadership, all of the relevant committee chairs and President Obama.

The following is a statement from Eva A. Millona, Executive Director of the MIRA Coalition about the DREAM Act.

"Each year about 65,000 U.S.-raised students, including at least 400 from Massachusetts, who would qualify for the DREAM Act's benefits, graduate from high school. These include honor roll students, star athletes, talented artists, homecoming queens, and aspiring teachers, doctors, and U.S. soldiers. We cannot turn our backs on these hardworking kids who have already contributed so much to their adopted country.

Passage of the DREAM Act would allow these multi-lingual and multi-cultural students to access better jobs, to pay higher taxes and to add to our economy. A RAND Corporation study showed that an immigrant who graduates from college will net an annual fiscal benefit of more than $9,000 per year, money that can be used to pay for the education of others. This bill makes fiscal and social sense for our country. We urge the entire New England delegation to sign on to this legislation and to fight for its passage."

Action Alert: Thursday, March 26th is National DREAM Act Call-in Day!

Pass the DREAM Act For Future Economic Prosperity!

Call 1-800-574-4243

The DREAM Act, a bill to allow undocumented immigrant students access to higher education and a pathway to legal permanent residency might be reintroduced this week in congress! We need your help to make our voices heard! Contact your elected officials in the US House and Senate (http://www.miracoalition.org/action/elected/ne-delegation) and urge them to support the Dream Act 2009

The time is now to push Congressmen and women to support the DREAM Act in 2009. We have to make the change. And in America, here and now, we can.

Get hooked up. Text "justice" to 69866.

Get informed by visiting here.

For more info, please visit http://www.dreamactivist.org