Senator Jose Peralta regarding Governor Cuomo’s consideration to remove the DREAM Act from the budget: “Unacceptable”

State Senator Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst) said today it was unacceptable that Governor Andrew Cuomo is considering removing the DREAM Act from the State’s $141 billion budget. Senator Peralta said he was extremely disappointed about this possibility, especially after the Governor argued in favor of making the Dream Act a reality during the Somos El Futuro Conference that took place in Albany this past weekend.

“Majority leader Dean Skelos has turned his back on addressing the current injustice in our state’s student aid financial assistance program,” Senator Peralta said. “It’s déjà vu all over again. Another year and the same outcome thanks to the intolerant views perpetuated by the Senate majority. They rather promote fear mongering propaganda that the sky will fall if we, as a State, help the children of undocumented immigrants to obtain a higher education.”

Senator Peralta continued, “it seems to me that New York is no longer the land of opportunity for these hard-working college students because instead of enabling them to succeed, we just added more hurdles to their paths.”

Senator Peralta noted, “The DREAM Act would have leveled the playing field for all of our college students regardless of their immigration status. Extending TAP (Tuition Assistance Program) to our DREAMers would not only provide an opportunity to thousands of hard-working young new Yorkers, but also create jobs, boost future tax revenue, and give our state the kind of diverse, educated, multi-talented workforce we will need to compete in tomorrow’s economy.”

“With this potential action, I understand New York does not want to follow in the footsteps of California,  Minnesota, New Mexico, Texas and Washington State,” Senator Peralta said. “These states already provide state college aid to undocumented immigrants, but New York does not want to right a wrong by offering all of our immigrant college students basic financial aid. “I will not give up the fight until we ensure that our DREAM becomes the reality it should be. This is unacceptable.”

Senator Peralta added, “I call on the Governor to reconsider the possibility of dropping the DREAM Act from the budget and help our DREAMers.”

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