AALDEF applauds passage of New York State Dream Act

Both houses of the New York State (NYS) legislature voted to pass the NYS DREAM Act, which allows undocumented students to access state financial aid, creates a private scholarship fund for children of immigrants, and allows undocumented students and their families to open college savings accounts.

Stephanie Park, The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), community organizer and DACA recipient, said: “With the passage of the NYS DREAM Act, my siblings, who have had to put their education and dreams on hold for years due to financial constraints, will finally have the opportunity to resume their college education and pursue their career goals.”

The NYS DREAM Act, first introduced in 2013, was renamed this year in memory of the late Senator Jose Peralta, who was a passionate champion of the DREAM Act and a tireless advocate for all immigrants. New York is the fifth state in the country to make college more affordable to undocumented students.

Annie Wang, director of AALDEF’s Immigrant Justice Project, said:”AALDEF’s work to ensure rights and protections for our immigrant communities continues in New York State, as we turn our attention to the fight to restore and expand access to NYS driver’s licenses for all New Yorkers, including undocumented immigrants.“