Press Call Regarding DACA, November 1, 2017

State College Mayor Goreham, Legal Experts, Faith Leaders Call on Representative Thompson to Pass a Clean Dream Act

A recording of today’s call is available here.

State College, PA – On a press call today, State College, Pennsylvania Mayor Elizabeth Goreham joined legal experts and faith leaders to discuss why a legislative solution for Dreamers is so urgent for Pennsylvania and America and to call on Representative Glenn Thompson (PA-05) to pass the Dream Act. In Pennsylvania, there are nearly 6,000 DACA recipients whose futures and opportunities to fully contribute to their communities are threatened by President Trump’s decision to end the popular and successful DACA program. In Representative Thompson’s district alone, there are nearly 600 DACA-eligible residents.

This call comes as tens of thousands of Dreamers will lose DACA because of an arbitrary deadline created by the Trump administration for 154,000 Dreamers to renew their status. If Congress can’t pass the Dream Act, then it must be included in the bill that funds the government in December. A recording of today’s call is available here.

State College, PA Mayor Elizabeth Goreham , said, “DACA allows people who have been here since they were children, who have grown up as Americans, to develop their education, career and relationships freely. They bring much appreciated cultural and economic richness to our communities and the country. The Dream Act is a permanent solution, and as Mayor of the State College Borough, I support it fully.”

Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia, Law professor and Director of the Center for Immigrants’ Rights Clinic at Penn State Law* , said, “The Dream Act is a bipartisan solution, a permanent solution and the only solution. Passing a clean Dream Act will allow Pennsylvania Dreamers to continue with their education and build their lives. The Dream Act also benefits universities as it allows young people to also contribute to the overall academic experience here on campus. Based on years of experience, I have come to recognize the value of having students who bring a variety of perspectives and life experiences into the academic community. Without a Dream Act, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and its citizens will be deprived of these very real benefits.”

*Please note that Wadhia’s affiliation is listed for informational purposes only and that she will be speaking in her individual capacity and not on behalf of the university

Reverend Ben Wideman, 3rd Way Collective Campus Pastor at Penn State University , said,
“My experience as a pastor who works with young adults reminds me of how challenging it is to be a college student right now. We are watching a generation burdened with increasing debt loads, mental health burdens, and economic pressures to find employment. Adding the fear of racially targeted marginalization only compounds the importance of maintaining what DACA offers to so many young people, enabling them to pursue their dreams and to enhance a vocation without the fear of being torn away from what they know.”

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