News from New York State Senator

Adriano Espaillat
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 21, 2015
Jake Potent | jpotent@adrianoespaillat.org | 917-836-4377 (cell)

**Statement**

State Senator Adriano Espaillat

Applauds Governors Inclusion of
DREAM Act in Budget Proposal
Statement by State Senator Adriano Espaillat (D-Manhattan/Bronx):
I commend the Governor for including the DREAM Act in his budget proposal; its
passage will open up a path of opportunity for the nearly 4000 students who graduate
from our high schools each and every year but do not have access to tuition assistance
simply because they are undocumented. Investing in their education will enhance their
lives, our communities, our great state, and will make our state a leader in finding ways
to help those trapped by our nations broken immigration system. For too long
undocumented students have struggled because they have not been given a fair shot to
participate in our economy.
We are now closer than ever to being able to tell the undocumented student sitting in their
12th grade science class that he or she will be able to have the same opportunity to
succeed as the student sitting across the table. By giving undocumented students a fair
shot we will expand opportunity and history shows us that when we expand opportunity
our economy grows, the middle class grows, and everyone is more prosperous."