On Wednesday, the Reform Immigration FOR America Campaign and an enormous coalition of faith, law enforcement, labor, civil rights, and immigrant advocacy groups brought tens of thousands of activists together for an immigration call to action with Congressman Luis Gutierrez, Congressman Raul Grijalva, and Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez. In total, more than 60,000 called in, joined house parties, or listened to live radio broadcasts as immigration reform leaders laid out plans for getting immigration reform passed in 2010.

"We can't wait any longer," said Micheline Charles, a home care provider and SEIU Healthcare Florida member who joined the call from Miami. ""We expect Congress to live up to their campaign promises and pass immigration reform once and for all." Micheline is featured in a new video SEIU has produced to put a face on the SEIU members who are fighting to overhaul our broken immigration system.

"We need everyone on this call to take action with your churches, your families and your organizations so that we can deliver a strong message to President Obama and Congress that, hey, it has been a year...[and] we want you to keep your promise to our families," said Rep. Gutierrez, after laying out details of the progressive bill he expects to introduce in December. Listen to full audio of the call here.

Differing from past years, the Reform Immigration FOR America Campaign is already building a field movement that outnumbers and outpaces the other side. Last weekend, the controversial "Tea Party" anti-immigrant activists held a meager 50 events in 26 states that they themselves acknowledged were "not drawing huge crowds."

Read coverage of the historic call to action in the Orlando Sentinel, the San Francisco Chronicle and the Arizona Republic.

On Tuesday, October 13, over 400 SEIU members joined fellow activists and religious leaders for an immigration lobby day and rally to urge Congress to move immigration reform legislation forward. "We've traveled to Washington to tell our Congressman to stop costly immigration enforcement policies that rip families apart, upset workplaces and harm local communities," said Julio Sotelo, an SEIU Local 26 member who cleans office buildings in Minneapolis, MN and who traveled over 23 hours by bus to attend Tuesday's day of action.

The Capitol Hill rally featured Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Immigration Task Force, who outlined specifics of immigration reform legislation he plans to introduce in the House in coming weeks.

Legislation elements discussed by Rep. Gutierrez included:

• a rational, humane approach to the undocumented population;
• protections for U.S. and immigrant workers;
• sufficient visas to close unlawful migration channels;
• enhancing our nation's security and safety;
• establish a strategic border enforcement policy that reflects American values;
• keeping American families together;
• promoting immigrant integration; and
• including the DREAM Act and AgJOBS; and protecting fundamental rights for all.

"There are too many families separated, too many lives destroyed by failed immigration policies that benefit no one," said Julia Marroquín, 19 year old DREAM student from Minneapolis and daughter of SEIU Local 26 member Lucresia Mares. "This is our moment to put behind us the failures of the past and reform the U.S. immigration system once and for all so that it supports all U.S. families and strengthens this country that we love."

(Thanks to America's Voice for this video of Tuesday's event)

More coverage of the rally in the NY Times.

Next week, 10 buses originating from ten cities from across the U.S., will make their way to Washington, D.C. for an historic rally October 13 at the U.S. Capitol to demand urgent Congressional action on immigration reform.

In one of the buses, over 30 members of SEIU Local 26--cleaning service workers who have experienced first-hand the fallout from aggressive enforcement of broken immigration laws--will travel from Minneapolis for the event. Passing by a rally in Chicago on their way, these SEIU members will join hundreds of SEIU 32BJ members and thousands of religious leaders, immigrants, and other pro-immigrant advocates for a rally at the U.S. Capitol to urge Congress to get cracking on immigration reform.

SEIU 32BJ Director of the DC Metro Area Jaime Contreras will join Representative Luis Gutierrez (IL-D), Reverend Coleman, and other national immigration leaders to address the crowd during the Tuesday afternoon rally. While speaking at the rally, Representative Luis Gutierrez (IL-D), is expected to introduce his principles for comprehensive immigration reform that will guide the legislation he is currently drafting for introduction in the House in the coming weeks.

Rep. Gutierrez's legislation will incorporate progressive principles for immigration reform, including the reuniting of families, a generous legalization program, and enforcement that respects the rights and dignity of people. While the Senate still plans to lead on immigration, after Senator Chuck Schumer's scheduled introduction of a bill next January, Rep. Gutierrez' leadership puts in focus the urgent need for Congressional action to overhaul a broken immigration system that has festered for far too long.

Can't be in Washington, DC on October 13th? No problem, RIFA.org has several easy ways to join in the action that day:

« Find an event taking place in your area.
« And if you can't make it to one of our events, there are still plenty of other ways to spread the word and make sure Congress hears your voice.

With less than a week to go before the launch of SEIU's ya es hora !HAGASE CONTAR! campaign for a full count of U.S. Latinos in the 2010 Census, we thought you might want to know why we think this is such a big deal.

The U.S. Census, held every 10 years, is the single most powerful indicator of who we are as a nation. It not only dictates the story we tell about our demographic makeup-but it also determines the allocation of our federal purse string and the seats of our political power.

Among other things, the U.S. Census:

• Determines Congressional reapportionment and political representation in State Legislatures and hundreds of legislative bodies at the local level;
• Decides the allocation of more than $400 billion in Federal funds to communities annually-including funds for Medicaid, voter protection, SCHIP, childcare, early child education, school lunch, ESL, adult education, and other vital services for our community; and
• Serves as the fundamental source of information on our nation's demographic makeup-guiding private and public research projects that influence a broad range of social/policy decisions. For example-the Census results are used to enforce civil rights laws and document discrimination based on race, ethnicity and gender.

Read more about the U.S. Census here.

On Wednesday, thousands of immigrant students held over 120 events in 28 states to support legislation that would allow talented DREAM students who view this country as their own to attend college, serve their nation, and earn a path to U.S. citizenship. States with the most "Back to School" events included Illinois (7 actions statewide), Texas (11 actions), Florida (15 actions) and California (almost 30 actions).

"It doesn't matter if they came here illegally," said University of Mexico student Lee Kittell said as he signed his name to the petition supporting the DREAM Act bill. "If they've been contributing to society they need to be citizens."

In addition to shining a somber light on the urgent need for comprehensive immigration reform, the National Back to School DREAM Act Day of Action shined a somber light on the urgent need for comprehensive immigration reform by highlighting DREAM students like Herta Llusho and Jorge-Alonso Chehade who are fighting deportation from the only country--and home--they know. Click here to call Senators Pat Murray and Maria Cantwell to help save Jorge-Alonso from deportation.

"These brave valedictorians, honor students, and future leaders embody the American Dream, wanting nothing more than to serve the country they've grown up in and build a stronger America," said SEIU Executive VP Eliseo Medina in a statement. "America can do better. America must do better. It's time to open the doors of opportunity, pass the DREAM Act and pass comprehensive immigration reform that honors our values, strengthens our economy, supports working families, and restores the rule of law for the long-term." Read coverage in the NY Daily News, Seattle Times, Denver Daily News, and the Associated Press. More media coverage featured on dreamactivist.org here.

UPDATE: A new video:

Jorge-Alonso Chehade came to the U.S. from Peru as a child and is now facing deportation next Friday, September 25. He and a friend accidentally crossed the Canadian border while trying not to violate traffic laws, a March 2009 incident which, ironically, led to his arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and sadly, his pending deportation.

Watch Alonso's call to action:

Jorge-Alonso Chehade graduated from High School with honors, attended community college and worked hard enough to transfer to a top-tier university, where he received a degree in Business Administration from the prestigious Michael G. Foster School of Business at the University of Washington. He is quite literally the embodiment of the American Dream, but our broken immigration system has prevented him from continuing down his career path after graduation. His story is part of a broader narrative of the challenges faced by immigrant students who have grown up in the U.S. and embraced American ideals, but are unable to fully contribute to our country because current immigration law does not provide a mechanism for them to do so.

On his Facebook Support Group, Alonso writes:

I am very grateful to the many opportunities that America has offered me and I am ready to give back. This is why I would like to stay in the country, work, pay taxes, and bring change by joining all national efforts in support of the DREAM Act.

Alonso has earned the chance to live and work here and call America home--and ICE needs to hear from us that he should be allowed to stay. The goal is to get at least 3,000 signatures--we currently have around 2,500. Sign onto U.S. Senators Patty Murry and Maria Cantwell's letter to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Alonso's behalf, requesting that they defer action on his deportation.

We've been successful with Walter Lara and Taha Mowla, now let's do all we can for Jorge Alonso! Please let your friends and family know how they can sign the petition on his behalf too: http://action.seiu.org/page/invite/invitejorgeltr. Later this week, Alonso will deliver the signed petitions in person to ICE.

Twitter & Facebook Support: Support the DREAM Act & allowing Alonso to stay in America on Twitter by posting this message: Another #dreamact student in trouble - STOP @jache0220 Deportation. Co-sign Senators' letters and RT http://t.seiu.org/zr8bqw #alonsochehade. Join his Support Group on Facebook here, where regular updates are being posted.

This week anti-immigrant extremists from FAIR (Federation for American Immigration Reform)--a known hate group--were silenced by vigils and pro-immigrant rallies demanding an end to the hate.

To counter FAIR's "Hold Your Feet to the Fire" week of lobby activities in Washington, hundreds of activists held vigils at the Capitol to condemn the hateful rhetoric. In the beginning of the week, SEIU joined America's Voice, Center for New Community, and the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) to launch a Roll Call print ad denouncing FAIR for poisoning the immigration debate with bigoted, xenophobic hate speech.

Reps. Brian Bilbray (R-CA) and Steve King (R-IA), as well as Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), are pictured in the ad along with FAIR founder John Tanton and CNN's Lou Dobbs. The ad features a quote from Tanton that reads: "As Whites see their power and control over their lives declining, will they simply go quietly into the night? Or will there be an explosion?"

Bilbray, King, and Sessions have a long history of collaboration with FAIR and like-minded organizations. Dobbs is a favorite media personality of FAIR (Dobbs' CNN program has cited FAIR as a reliable source on the immigration issue no fewer than six times in the last year) and spoke at the organization's "We the People" Immigration Reform Awards Reception on September 15. More on FAIR, its racist founder, its ties to eugenicists, and the racially charged comments of some of its staff can be found at Media Matters here.

Americans know that hate speech can't raise wages and living standards for workers, solve the healthcare crisis, end the mortgage crisis, or bring about immigration reform. And President Obama has consistently promised to make comprehensive immigration reform a priority during his first year in office. But it's become clear after Joe Wilson's "lie," Republican politicians continuing to employ the illegal immigration wedge strategy, and FAIR with its anti-immigrant lobbying "blitz" on Capitol Hill this week with support from the media's Lou Dobbs that we need to do more. SEIU has launched a new campaign calling on its members to set the record straight on immigrant access to health care. If you haven't yet, please join us: http://action.seiu.org/immigrante.

The politics of immigration are too often tainted by ignorance and hate. "It's time that everyone learns who FAIR's founders, leaders and followers truly are. They are not reformers, but a group of extremists whose leaders are fostering a bigoted, anti-immigrant, anti-American agenda that we must stop," said SEIU Executive VP Eliseo Medina in a statement. "America doesn't need zealots; we need smart, pragmatic immigration reform."

We must continue with even greater resolve to overcome the fanaticism, stand up for immigrant rights, and push for the kind of smart, fair and just immigration reform our nation needs to flourish. Tell Congress: "It's time to fix the broken immigration system..

In honor of National Citizenship Day and as part of the ya es hora !CIUDADANIA! (Citizenship: It's Time) campaign, SEIU Local 615 in Boston will join groups across the country this weekend to hold an all-day workshop to help eligible immigrants apply for U.S. citizenship. "As America faces a political crossroads, working to fix our economy, reform healthcare and pass smart immigration reform, new Americans will play a bigger role than ever in shaping our shared future," said SEIU Local 615 President and International Vice President Rocio Saenz.

Learn about upcoming naturalization workshops and read coverage of SEIU's naturalization push in the Washington Post and La Opinion.

And, can you pass the new USCIS naturalization test?

Last night, during President Obama's speech, one Republican Congressman tried to turn a Joint Session of Congress into an August town hall meeting by calling the President a liar.

President Obama: There are also those who claim that our reform effort will insure illegal immigrants. This, too, is false - the reforms I'm proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally.

Rep. Joe Wilson: You Lie!

The lies and misinformation have to stop.

Can you write a letter to the editor setting the record straight on immigrant access to health care? Click here to start writing your letter:

http://action.seiu.org/immigranlte

It's important that Congress not be divided by distractions. People in the country legally, who work hard and play by the rules, deserve affordable coverage and access to public programs, as they do with children's health insurance program (SCHIP), and subsidies.

Health reform must be inclusive and must end the unfair treatment of immigrants.

And if we're going to pass comprehensive immigration reform, we need to pass health care reform first.

Write a letter to the editor setting the record straight on immigrant access to health care and why we need comprehensive immigration reform.

http://action.seiu.org/immigranlte

For over 40 years, Senator Ted Kennedy was a tireless advocate and voice for immigrant rights. One profound example of his impact can be traced back to the very first piece of legislation he was able to get passed as a Senator: the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. This legislation marked a radical break with previous policy and led to far-reaching demographic and societal changes in America by prioritizing family ties and allowing people from all countries around the globe the opportunity to become Americans. Without Sen. Kennedy's legislation, our country would not be the wonderfully diverse melting pot it is today.

On April 10, 2006, Sen. Ted Kennedy joined 200,000 people on the National Mall in Washington, D.C for a rally supporting his plan for comprehensive immigration reform. The "National Day of Action for Immigrant Justice" was a historic gathering that brought together leaders in the labor, business and religious community in an unprecedented way. After being introduced by SEIU Local 32BJ's Jaime Contreras, Sen. Kennedy made a memorable speech to the crowd. Watch it here:

The words Kennedy spoke at this rally still ring true: "It is time for Americans to lift their voices now--in pride for our immigrant past and in pride for our immigrant future." Today, will you lift your voice to share your thoughts on his legacy and remarkable career?

As we mourn the loss of a great leader and defender of of the American dream, let's pay reverence to his memory, which inspires us still. Sign our online card to Senator Kennedy's family.

SEIU's latest Dream Act campaign on behalf of Herta Llushlo has generated over 3,700 letter to the Dept. of Homeland Security.

Herta sent the following email to her supporters earlier today:

Dear Friend,

I'm Herta Llushlo, and thank you - for all of the calls made and all the letters written to DHS and ICE on my behalf, I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart.  I also want to give you an update on next steps.

First, the good news: I've been issued an order of supervision which means I'm not being deported-- for now.  The reality of the situation is that an order of supervision is not a great position to be in. I have to report back to ICE on November 9, 2009 and learn my fate.

You've helped me buy some time but I'm not out of the woods. We still have work to do to keep the pressure on DHS to not deport me back to the country I left when I was 11 years old.

Can you help me reach my goal of sending 5,000 letters to DHS and ICE? 

I've recorded a special message for you and after you watch it, please sign on to my letter.

I have to tell you that on Wednesday, the day I was scheduled to be deported to Albania, my bags were packed and I had them with me when I reported to the Detroit ICE office.  I truly didn't know what to expect--and I especially didn't expect to see a stack of letters written on my behalf, over 9 inches tall, sitting on the officer's desk.

That's over 3,000 letters!  It's an amazing response and I couldn't have done it without you.

Now, we just need to convince Secretary Napolitano to grant an order of deferred action for me.

Help me reach my goal of sending 5,000 letters to DHS and ICE by clicking here:

http://action.seiu.org/page/speakout/dhsrequest4herta

Thank you for all of your support!

Herta Llushlo  

Here's Herta's special message:

Today, in a meeting to convene a diverse group of labor, advocacy, faith and business leaders, SEIU Executive Vice President Eliseo Medina met with Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano to discuss immigration reform.

As an added bonus, President Barack Obama made an unscheduled visit to the meeting and reiterated his support of pushing through a comprehensive immigration package this Congress.

The Hill reports that:

"Obama urged leaders to work together in order to pass comprehensive immigration reform. Advocates took the presidential visit as a sign of the administration's commitment to the issue."

In the first of its kind meeting -- to convene a diverse group of advocates to begin sketching a framework for reform-- Vice President Medina issued the following statement:

"Today's White House meeting with Secretary Napolitano and a diverse group of labor, faith, and business leaders is an important step towards shaping smart, comprehensive immigration reform legislation in the comings months. As the leader of the Department that has for far too long been tasked with the impossible job of enforcing broken, outdated laws, Secretary Napolitano knows first-hand how critical it is that we pass sweeping immigration reforms that are smart, enforceable and strengthen our economy for the long term.

"In coming months as the immigration debate heats up, Secretary Napolitano will play a central role in promoting real progress on the issue. In order to achieve the smart policy solution that the American public wants, we urge Secretary Napolitano to stand up publicly, light the fire and become an outspoken champion of comprehensive reform.

"Enforcement without reform has been tried for decades with dismal results. Instead of solving problems, it wastes taxpayer dollars, marginalizes immigrant communities and degrades the quality of life for all workers. In particular, expansion of employment verification programs like E-Verify is like painting the roof when the house is on fire; it's the wrong solution at the wrong time.

"For every day we delay on passing a solution to our broken immigration system, we impede our nation's economic recovery, create unnecessary divisions in our workforce, and cost taxpayers billions of wasted dollars.

"It is unacceptable to live in a country where millions of workers are living in shadows. The only way to ensure that every job in this country is filled by a legal permanent resident is to get undocumented immigrants out of the underground economy, into the system and under the rule of law. Diverse groups are aligned on the need for a comprehensive solution. Now we need the Administration and Congress to take bold steps, roll up their sleeves and pass smart reforms once and for all.

Shortly after the meeting, Secretary Napolitano issued a statement on the meeting saying:

"Today's meeting on comprehensive immigration reform was an important opportunity to hear from stakeholders and build on the significant time I've spent on the Hill meeting with members of Congress on this critical subject. I look forward to working with President Obama, my colleagues in Congress and representatives from law enforcement, business, labor organizations, the interfaith community, advocacy groups and others as we work on this important issue."

In case you missed it, the Washington Post recently highlighted the Believe Together Coalition, a coalition SEIU helped form with a multitude of faith groups earlier this year. The Post writes that "the group originally grew out of frustration that conservative Christian groups were dominating the national faith conversation on social issues. The coalition is speaking out on such issues as healthcare reform and comprehensive immigration reform."

Last month, the coalition brought together Americans from different faiths on Washington's Freedom Plaza to focus on the urgent, moral need to provide for all members of our community. Check our live blogging from the event.

We did it!

Thanks to 24 hours of your calls and faxes, the Department of Homeland Security has done the right thing and deferred action on Taha's deportation.

But we can't stop here--not while 2 million young people who were brought to the U.S. years ago as undocumented immigrant children remain at risk for having their lives in this country cut short and dreams deferred.

Not while we are still in the business of stopping one deportation at a time.

As a result of your actions that resulted in DHS's decision to let Taha stay in the U.S., he will be allowed to finish college and continue his dream to become a pediatrician. Please take a few minutes and send Taha a congratulatory message.

SEIU is teaming up with Dreamactivist.org to help stop the deportation of another Dream Act student, Taha.

Like Walter Lara, Taha Mowla was brought to the USA when he was a toddler.

He has lived in Jersey City for more than 16 years.

On July 29, 2009, he will be deported to Bangladesh - a country that he has no memory of or connection to.

If Taha returns to Bangladesh, he will never have the chance to complete the education he has worked so hard all of his life to acquire.

Taha doesn't read or write Bengali. He doesn't even know its alphabet. Moving back there will mean moving to a foreign country where he'll have to start his life again from scratch.

Taha has been educated in America, K - 12. He achieved many awards in high school such as Academic Author Award, Principal's Award, Honor Roll and Merit Wall.

His teachers opened his eyes to so many great opportunities in this country. His dream career is to be a pediatrician, working in a clinic or hospital environment, and giving back to our great country that has given him so much.

Taha has been accepted to St. Peter's College in Jersey City, NJ to study Marketing and Pre-Med.

Picture yourself in Taha's shoes. All that he needs help with is getting permission to continue living in the country he loves and calls home so that he can complete his education--and spend the rest of his life giving back to this country, the only home he can ever remember living in.

Here are 5 ways you can help:

1. Spread the word about Taha's case: http://action.seiu.org/page/s/meettaha

2. Co-sign Sen. Menendez's letter on behalf of Taha: http://action.seiu.org/page/s/menendezltr

3. Call DHS and tell Sec. Napolitano to defer action on Taha's deportation: http://call.seiu.org/9/calldhs

4. Call New Jersey Sens. Menendez, Lautenberg and Congressman Sires and ask them to file a private bill on Taha's behalf. : http://call.seiu.org/9/callcongress4taha

5. Join Taha's Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=233343415360

Earlier today, Congressman Polis praised SEIU in his personal privilege floor speech for our work on behalf of Walter Lara and the DREAM Act.

Call your Senator right now and ask them to support the DREAM Act.

Momentum is growing in Washington for comprehensive immigration reform. Just as the bipartisan Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) issued a sweeping report on the urgent need for comprehensive immigration reform, Senator Schumer announced yesterday that an immigration bill will be ready by Labor Day. "I think we'll have a good bill by Labor Day," said Schumer. "I think the fundamental building blocks are in place to do comprehensive immigration reform."

Read the full report by CFR's Immigration Policy Task Force--which includes SEIU Executive Vice President Eliseo Medina and former Governor of Florida Jeb Bush. "While it may not be a sprint to the finish, after years of delay, broken promises and political logjams, the urgency is greater than ever to make real progress," said Medina. Check out coverage of this encouraging news in the AP, Washington Post and Daily Kos.

We did it!

Today, Walter Lara was supposed to be sent back to Argentina -- a country that he left when he was 3 years old and has no memory of. But thanks to everyone who rallied around Walter's cause and took action, he's not being deported today.

Here's what grassroots and immigration rights activists did together on Walter's behalf:

• Over 3,000 people co-signed Sen. Nelson's letter
  
• Over 1,000 calls were made to the Department of Homeland Security--so many that their message system was overwhelmed.

Thanks to DREAMer activism, Walter did not have to spend Independence Day saying goodbye to his family. But we can't stop here--not while 2 million young people who were brought to the U.S. years ago as undocumented immigrant children remain at risk for having their lives in this country cut short and dreams deferred. Not while we are still in the business of stopping one deportation at a time.

Here's a message from Walter on how we can clear a path for other undocumented students and support higher education for all students:

To Secretary Janet Napolitano, Senator Bill Nelson, Representatives Corrine Brown, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, words cannot express my gratitude. Their action is an acknowledgment that our immigration laws are broken.

But personal interventions won't help the tens of thousands of others in the immigrant community who stand to benefit from passage of the DREAM Act.

This is why we need Congress to pass the DREAM Act.

Call your Senator right now and ask them to support the DREAM Act.

I was lucky, but the reality is that someone else is being deported today.

Please call them.

Thank you,
Walter Lara

Note: Athena Jones is an home care worker and Grassroots Lobbyist through SEIU's Change That Works campaign.

Students file in wearing colors mixed like an unsolved Rubik's cube--some wearing chords representing achievement and honors. Friends straighten each other's caps. The rainbow of the march is accompanied by a violin and the pomp and circumstances of cameras flashing. As smiles of achievement shine, each student's hard work and the pride of a family is represented with a cap and gown.

You would not notice or look twice at the needs of these high achievers. Each representing the overtaking of a struggle, brandished with the hopes of the Dream.

Onlookers could never have imagined Tuesday's commencement speech to be anything more than a student talking about bridging gaps to adulthood or hoping for the 10 year reunion. As she began to speak - I'll call her Anna - Anna spoke of her graduating from high school with honors and successfully completing college with a double major in biology and psychology. Her parents spoke to her of the hope, of education and the Dream of what America could be. She was the product of undocumented parents. They brought her here under the cover of a better future when she was eight, and she too was undocumented. Anna began to tell of the hurt she felt towards the only country she knew and the many opportunities lost because she does not have a 9 digit number assigned to her name.

Anna is a high achieving, college-educated student with honors. The U.S. government saw her as an illegal immigrant worthy of nothing better than being deported. Her undocumented status shadowed her amazing credentials. I imagine she never knew, regardless of her academic success, her ultimate diploma would be a letter of deportation.

Remember what it was like when you had a dream? For many immigrant students their dreams of pursuing higher education can't be realized because of their immigration status -- even though they may have lived here most of their lives. Unlike their U.S. born classmates, they can't work legally or qualify for a driver's license or federal financial aid for college, and they are forced to live in constant fear of deportation to a land they barely remember.

On Tuesday, over 500 immigrant students from all over the country are coming to Washington, DC in pursuit of making their dreams come true.

While they are here, they'll be lobbying their Senators and Congressmen to pass the Dream Act, which would allow immigrant students who've grown up here to hope for a better future and a chance at higher education. And to dramatize the contribution they could make -- if only given the chance -- they will hold a graduation ceremony outside of the U.S. Capitol .

Help make their dreams come true by signing their diploma in support of the Dream Act and at the graduation - with your help - I'll unfurl the diploma at the ceremony for the graduates to see our support.

http://action.seiu.org/page/s/dreamactseiu

A disproportionate number of these DREAMers are valedictorians, honor students, class presidents or student leaders, and they include SEIU members and the children of our members.

Their DREAM - passage of the Dream Act -- is a part of the battle for comprehensive reform that our union strongly supports. It will be included in any comprehensive immigration reform that makes it through congress. It also could be enacted on its own, and if that happens, it would be a hopeful signal that comprehensive immigration reform is on its way.

Help make their dreams come true by signing their diploma in support of the Dream Act.

Sign the diploma now!

http://action.seiu.org/page/s/dreamactseiu