July 12, 2011

The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), the Muslim Public Affairs Council, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and the Interfaith Immigration Coalition announced their renewed support at a press conference for the passage of the Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors (DREAM) Act.

SEE: Virginia Bishop, Ecumenical Leaders Join Senator on Capitol Hill to Launch 'Dream Sabbath' Campaign (Episcopal News Service)

The DREAM Act would provide undocumented high school graduates with a chance to earn legal status if they came to this country as children, are long-term U.S. residents, have good moral character and agree to complete two years of college or military service.

Supporting the DREAM Act is a “moral responsibility of America” Durbin said. “The DREAM Act is inspired by the heavens, but is sprung from the earth -- from the very roots of this country.”

Imam Mohamed Magid, President of ISNA, emphasized that DREAM Act students have been raised as Americans and are Americans.

“They listen to the same music, play the same football,” Magid said. He went on to stress the importance of a unified moral vision and speak with one voice “to support these deserving children.”

Imam Magid went on to note that MPAC and ISNA have been diligently working together on the issue of immigration reform and the DREAM Act. 

In November 2010, MPAC sponsored a national interfaith telephone press conference in support of the DREAM Act and released an immigration paper, “Ineffective & Unjust: Fixing Our Nation’s Broken Immigration System,” that outlined a comprehensive solution strategy to the nation’s broken immigration system.

LISTEN: The national interfaith telephone press conference about the DREAM ACT

The immigration paper focuses on three areas in need of reform:

1. Legal immigration
2. Legalization of undocumented people
3. Immigration enforcement

If the more than 2.1 million DREAM Act students have an opportunity to work toward their legal status (and eventual citizenship), organizations such as the University of California Los Angeles estimate DREAM Act students will contribute $3.6 trillion to our nation over 40 years.

If that same path were expanded to the overwhelming majority of the 11 million, law-abiding and undocumented immigrants, the Immigration Policy Center estimates our nation stands to gain $1.5 trillion in just 10 years.