WHEREAS,
Senator Richard Durbin and Representative Howard Berman have introduced the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act; and
WHEREAS,
Universities and Institutions of Higher Learning within Philadelphia strive to make Higher Education accessible to all who merit and desire a college experience; and
WHEREAS,
The City of Philadelphia benefits from providing a quality education to the growing immigrant population; and
WHEREAS,
Every year over 65,000 high school students are unable to access collegiate education either due to the legal status of their parents or guardians, or due to the financial barriers that exist around higher education; and
WHEREAS,
The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act would provide high-achieving high school students who are undocumented, and who wish to either serve and protect The United States of America in the armed forces, or improve their quality of life through college education, a temporary legal status to achieve those goals; and
WHEREAS,
The opportunity for all Philadelphia high school students to attend Institutions of Higher Education is of paramount importance to the success of The City of Philadelphia, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and The United States of America; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED THAT,
The Philadelphia City Council supports the passage of the 2009 Federal DREAM Act, and calls on The Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation to support The 2009 Federal Dream Act, and to continuously support all students who struggle to achieve the dream of higher education. We recognize the significance of increasing the accessibility of education, and support the 2009 DREAM Act for its mission to make the dream of a college education a reality.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED,
That a copy of this resolution shall be transmitted to all members of the Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation.
End