The DREAM Act Outreach Toolkit What is the DREAM Act?
Of the multiple bills Congress has introduced in response to the end of DACA, we believe that a clean DREAM Act provides the best solution with the best chance of succeeding. It provides t he shortest path to
citizenship (5 years for those with DACA and 13 for those who were
ineligible for DACA) and will include more people than any other bill presented. It also already has huge bipartisan support and is well
known across the country. If you are interested in learning about the other bills, you can check out the comparison made by the National Immigration Law Center here.
To be eligible for the DREAM Act you would need to: ➔ Have arrived in the U.S. before you were 18
➔ Have had to arrive to the U.S. less than 4 years before law is enacted ➔ Have good moral character (Minimal legal trouble) ➔ Have to meet one of the following requirements
❏ Must have a high school diploma or GED or be enrolled in higher education ❏ Be employed for three years
❏ Serve in the armed forces for two years
2
How Do I Find My Representatives? Follow the links below to find your United States representatives. Find your representatives in the House here. Find your representatives in the Senate here.
Calling Your Reps:
You can then use one of the following two scripts provided to you below. Do not feel limited by these as they are mostly there to provide an outline.
The Short and Sweet
Hello, my name is _______________. I am calling as a constituent to urge my representative to support our immigrant community by passing a c lean, bipartisan DREAM Act. Thank you very much. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Give ‘Em Hill Hello, my name is _________ and I’m calling as a constituent to urge my representative to pass a clean, bipartisan DREAM Act. It would create a legal pathway to citizenship that does not currently exist for the 800,000 dreamers. They were brought here at a young age with no control of their circumstances but have since contributed largely to society, especially economically. Leaving them in limbo with no pathway to citizenship is negligent and deporting them to a country they have never known is inhumane. These people are my friends, coworkers, and neighbors, and they deserve justice. That is why I urge you to support the DREAM Act. Thank you very much.
3
Letter Writing/Email:
An alternative to calling your representatives can take the form of letter writing or emailing your representative. The following is a sample of what a great letter can be! Return Address
Your Name Address City, State Zip Code
Date
[Insert Date]
Salutation
Dear Representative [Insert Last Name]:
Introduce yourself: My name is [Insert Your Name] and I reside at [Insert Your your name, address and Address] in [Insert Your City], [Insert Your State] and I am a school to identify that you student at St. Edward's University. are a constituent Why are you writing your Representative? Make this personal: share your story, why is this important to you?
I am writing to ask you to stand with our immigrant community and support a clean, bipartisan DREAM Act. The DACA program has allowed almost 800,000 undocumented youth to get jobs, support their families, and get an education. The end of DACA means that these people are left scared and unsure of their future. The DREAM Act would create a pathway to citizenship for these people that does not exist. Dreamers are my friends, neighbors, and classmates. I urge you to support a clean, bipartisan DREAM Act.
Thank your Representative for his/her time
Thank you for your time and considering my request.
Closing with your name
Sincerely, [Insert Your Name]
4
Petitions: There have been many petitions created in support of the DREAM act in order to pressure certain representatives. This is another great way to be heard and add your voice to the
conversation. We recommended looking at the following petitions that have been created. ➔ United We Dream, a national organization created to advocate for undocumented youth across the U.S., has created a petition urging politicians to take action. You can find the petition here.
➔ FWD.us, a national organization who focuses on working with undocumented youth and business across the nation, has joined the conversation as well. You can find their petition here.
Social Media:
Social media is also a good way to be engaged in the conversation and to encourage others to take action. You can always @your representative and let them know about how you feel and your support of the undocumented movement. Follow and participate on social media campaigns such as the #dreamactnow or the #21daystodream campaign.
Text Messages:
An easy way to make sure that your voice is being heard is by sending a text! R esistbòt has
created an incredibly easy and amazing way to contact your representative. You can reach their website by clicking on the following link.
You can text RESIST to 50409 and they will ask you for a message that you want to send your representative. They will use your number to find your representative and fax them your message so that you are being heard.
5
Contributors If you are interested in learning more about getting involved and about the immigrant community you can reach out to the following organizations here on campus:
Monarchs On The Hilltop
An organization based in the St. Edward's campus whose goal is to advocate and provide resources for the undocumented community. We want to educate and inform on issues around the undocumented community but also provide a safe space for anyone who is dealing with problems regarding this issue. If you want to learn more about getting involved contact: Jose Garibay Vice-President Email:
[email protected]
AmericaIWill A social justice empowerment organization that pushes students to be the change they want to see in their community. Through education and advocacy, this organization is action-oriented to making real change that starts locally. If you want to learn more about getting involved contact: Lilli Hime Director of AmericaIWill Email:
[email protected]
