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Advocacy Archives
November 13, 2007 -- DREAM Act Testimony 2007
Testimony of Elizabeth Garcia, Director of Advocacy
before The New York City Council Immigration and Higher Education Committees
(October 24, 2007)
I would like to thank the New York City Council and the members of the Immigration and Higher Education Committees for providing me with the opportunity to testify here today. My name is Elizabeth Garcia. I am the Director of Advocacy for Covenant House New York.
For nearly 35 years, Covenant House New York has been serving homeless, runaway and at-risk youth. We are the nation’s largest, privately funded, non-profit adolescent care agency serving this population. Last year, Covenant House New York served over 7,000 young people, primarily between the ages of 16 and 21, in our residential and community -based programs, and through our street outreach efforts. Many of the youth who find themselves in homeless situations are undocumented immigrants. Most have lived in the United States since they were small children. They were brought to the U.S. by parents or caretakers seeking to escape repressive governments and oppressive poverty. They did not choose to come to the U.S. or to be unlawfully present here. Nevertheless they find themselves faced with laws and penalties intended to punish unlawful behavior. They live in constant fear of deportation. Under current U.S. Immigration laws, there are very few options available for undocumented youth to adjust their status and become legal residents. Most of the undocumented youth are unable to pursue higher education and all are unable to legally obtain work, thus placing them at greater risk of living in poverty and becoming chronically homeless as adults.
Educational assistance, vocational training and job placement are three critical components of Covenant House New York services that aid our youth in rising up out of poverty and achieving independence. Unfortunately, for our undocumented youth, there is little we can do to assist them in obtaining a higher level of education and even less that we can do to help them obtain lawful employment. Let me provide you with a: CASE EXAMPLE Sabrina was brought to the U.S. from Haiti by her father when she was only four years old. She grew up in New York City and excelled in school through elementary, middle, and high schools. When Sabrina was only 14 years old, her father abandoned her. She spent the next three years of her life bouncing from one family friend’s home to another. Finally, when she was 17, her high school guidance counselor referred her to Covenant House New York. At Covenant House, Sabrina was quickly accepted into Rights of Passage, a transitional living program that emphasizes self sufficiency through employment and education. Sabrina was able to finish high school at the top of her class while living in Covenant House, but then began the difficulty of finding a job and furthering her education. Sabrina enrolled in each of Covenant House’s paid vocational training programs, as stipends were available for immigrant youth, but was unable to get a regular job outside of Covenant House. In addition, her true dream was to go to school and receive a Political Science degree, yet was unable to afford the tuition.
Sabrina was a model client, ambitious, intelligent, well spoken, articulate, respectful, but it seemed that her options were very limited. She could not return to her native country of Haiti, since she was no longer able to speak the language, had no family, and little connection to what seemed a foreign place. Yet she had no way of pursuing and fulfilling her full potential in the only country she knew as her own.
Likewise, two of our current youth leaders at our Community Resource Centers are in the same exact situation as Sabrina. They, however, are getting a chance to pursue their education due to scholarships provided by Covenant House New York. They attend public colleges, despite both having dreamt of going to prestigious, private universities. They want to be an accountant and a fashion merchandiser, but if their status does not change, there is little chance that either will be able to pursue the careers they are so diligently studying for. As it is, neither one is able to fulfill their school’s internship requirements, which will have a negative impact on their degree completion. These two extremely intelligent and impressive young people are being held back from their full potential because of a broken immigration system. DREAM ACT The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, also known as the DREAM Act (S. 774), provides a remedy to the situation faced by many undocumented youth. This bill, which enjoys bi-partisan support, seeks to regularize the status of young people who: 1. came to the U.S. before the age of 16; 2. have been continuously in the country for 5 years or longer; 3. have a high school diploma or its equivalent (i.e. GED); and 4. have demonstrated good moral character. The Act would extend a 6 year conditional legal status to undocumented youth who meet these criteria. During the 6 year period, the youth would be required to graduate from a 2 year college, complete at least 2 years of a 4 year degree, or serve at least 2 years in the U.S. military. At the end of the 6 year period, Permanent Resident status would be granted to youth who meet these requirements and have maintained good moral character. The DREAM Act would provide a measure of fairness & equity to youth who through no choice of their own find themselves in undocumented status. It would also provide many benefits to the U.S. by:
REDUCING HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT RATES The children of undocumented immigrants are far more likely to drop out of high school than are students who were born in the U.S. Currently, only 40% of undocumented, Hispanic males graduate from High School according to the Migration Policy Institute. The DREAM Act provides a strong incentive to stay in school, since the tuition and citizenship benefits of the Act would only be available to high school graduates. IMPROVING ACCESS TO COLLEGE It is estimated that only 5 -10% of undocumented youth who graduate from high school go on to attend college, as compared with about 75% of their classmates (National Immigration Law Center). Current federal law discourages states from providing in-state tuition to undocumented immigrant students. There are only 10 states that provide in-state tuition for all residents regardless of their immigration status. The DREAM Act would eliminate a federal provision that discourages states from providing in-state tuition to undocumented immigrant student residents. This would significantly improve access to college for many bright, hardworking and talented youth who could otherwise not afford to attend college. INCREASING EDUCATED WORKFORCE
Over 80% of the nearly 25 million jobs that will be created in the next 10 years will require postsecondary education (ACE, 2004). Based on current enrollment figures at postsecondary institutions, we will be far short of meeting this need. By providing a clear, legal path to higher education, citizenship and employment for our undocumented youth, we can make a significant, positive impact on our future workforce. A more educated workforce will lead to higher wages, and lower crime and poverty rates. Undocumented youth who were brought to this country by their parents at very young ages, who did not have a choice about their unlawful entry, and who have grown up in this country as Americans deserve the right to prosper in this country through education and employment. They should not be penalized for the decisions their parents made. We ask that the New York City Council support the passage of the DREAM Act. Thank you!
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