Student Immigrant Movement Rally Continues Pressure on Sen. Scott Brown to Support the DREAM ACT

BOSTON/Downtown Crossing - Over 300 immigrant students and allies held a rally at St. Paul's Cathedral today in support of the DREAM Act - a federal bill that would provide some undocumented immigrant students a path to legal residency in the US. Organizers from the Student Immigrant Movement hoped that the show of force would help convince Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) to join the rest of the Mass. Congressional delegation in backing the bill. SIM invited Brown to the rally, but he did not attend.

A dozen speakers - including former Amesbury mayor David Hildt, North Shore Community College president Wayne Burton, UMass Boston student senate president Neil McKinnis Barker, and a several immigrant students - explained their support for the DREAM Act. Speakers and the audience chanted "Let us learn! Let us serve!" on a number of occasions - expressing their desire to attend college and their willingness to serve in the US military to gain legal residency. Most audience members also held signs bearing the same slogan.

The event concluded with the presentation of "degrees" from "DREAM University" to representatives of the 40 community organizations and unions that have signed a statement in support of the DREAM Act. Organizers encouraged attendees to intensify their efforts to get the bill passed.

The DREAM Act is expected to come up for a vote in Congress before the end of the current session this month.

This article is a news brief.