Urge your Senators and Representatives to pass the DREAM Act.

from Chris McGraw
Grassroots Advocacy Program Director
Amnesty International USA

A valedictorian. A volunteer tutor. A Harvard biology student.

What do these talented young students living in the US have in common? The US government has sought to have them deported -- despite their outstanding contributions to their communities -- just because their parents brought them as children to the US without legal permission.

Amnesty International can't let the dreams of these young students die, but we can't succeed if individuals like you don't take action. Lead a delegation of fellow activists in your home state during the weeks of Oct. 24 to Nov. 6, asking your Senators and Representatives to cosponsor and pass the DREAM Act.

2.1 million undocumented minors in the US who arrived here as children, have grown up here, and consider the US home are at risk as more and more states enact draconian anti-immigrant legislation. The DREAM Act focuses specifically on these young immigrants (DREAMers), providing them conditional legal status and an opportunity to permanently legalize their status in the US if they prove to have good moral character and complete two years of higher education or uniformed service, among other criteria.

This is not an "open door" -- it's simply doing what's right. Your elected officials of all political stripes need to know that you and other Amnesty International activists like you are standing up for the rights of DREAMers. All individuals have the human right to due process before deportation and cannot be arbitrarily separated from their families.

Last year, with your help, the DREAM Act nearly became law, and was only narrowly defeated in the Senate. This year, we believe that your in-person meetings with your legislators -- with you asking them to do their job and represent your views as a constituent -- will help us achieve a critical human rights victory for millions of young people in the US.

Leading an in-person delegation of activists to speak with your elected officials may sound daunting, but we will support you every step of the way with training, key points to address, and tips to be effective. And you won't be alone -- we'll be mobilizing in districts all throughout the country, working in a powerful coalition of other groups looking to make the DREAM Act a reality.

You have the power to influence decision makers to pass the DREAM Act! A generation of talented DREAMers -- and the communities throughout the US that they have touched -- will thank you.

For a bright future,

Chris McGraw
Grassroots Advocacy Program Director
Amnesty International USA