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Syracuse University’s Student Association introduced a bill to the assembly urging high-profile United States politicians to pass the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors, or “Dream,” Act. The proposed legislation would provide legal protections for children of undocumented immigrants.

The bill, first proposed in 2001 to the U.S. Senate, outlines protections for “Dreamers,” protecting them from deportation and accelerating the path to citizenship. The act has been reintroduced multiple times since 2001 but has never passed in either body of Congress. Under current legislation, protections for Dreamers expire after their 21st birthday.

During Monday’s meeting, SA President German Nolivos and Speaker Pro Tempore Tim Wong introduced the bill, which included a statement addressed to 27 senators and representatives from New York state, SU Chancellor Kent Syverud and other university leadership.

“Here, they are students. They are friends and family. They are club presidents and team captains. They are researchers and authors and artists and activists. They are Orange. They are a part of our story at the University, and a part of yours, as Americans,” the bill reads.

The latest bipartisan border security bill did not include protection for these individuals, despite many representatives advocating for their inclusion.

“This is really just a great starting point for a broader dialog,” Nolivos said. “We have talked to the internal people at Syracuse University (to) find how we can have a transparent dialog about how (to) best protect long-term visa holders on our campus.”

Along with protecting students at SU, the bill aims to unify other universities across the country. Nolivos said that other universities, such as the University of Virginia, have passed similar statements and spoke about the importance of standing in solidarity with Dreamer students.

Wong said that, if the bill passes at next week’s SA meeting, it would be the first time that the association collaborated with other universities on national issues.

“This is a part of a broader effort to sort of unify the New York school student governments, that important unified voice, when it comes to advocacy work,” Wong said.

Nolivos said as a child of long-term visa holders, he has experienced the difficult citizenship application process. He said that when applying to colleges, he struggled to get financial aid based on his status as a Dreamer.

Now, a junior at SU, Nolivos said he still doesn’t have a clear path to citizenship. The bill would raise awareness about the challenges students like him face, he said.

While the bill will not be voted on until next Monday, some assembly members have already pledged their support. Carly Phung, an SA member and student in SU’s College of Arts & Sciences, called the bill “a great piece of advocacy.”

“This is a New York State problem, and a lot of (students) become international students after they’re not able to continue under their parents’ residence,” Novilos said. “They have to become international students in order to still study in the U.S. They enjoy a lot less of the privilege that we bear as non-international students.”

Published on October 29, 2024 at 1:32 am

Contact Sydney: sadepiet@syr.edu