Below, review NACAC's activities in support of the DREAM Act since 2001.
The 107th Congress (2001 - 2002)
February 2001: "
Considering Undocumented Students in American Schools," NACAC
Bulletin, February 2001, volume 39 number 2 (first in a series).
August 2001: "Postsecondary Education for Undocumented Students," NACAC Bulletin, August/September 2001, volume 39 number 7 (second in a series).
Winter 2002: "Myths and Realities for Undocumented Students Attending US Colleges and Universities." Ellen Badger and Stephen Yale-Loehr, NACAC's Journal of College Admission, Number 174, Winter 2002.
April 2002: "State and Federal Efforts to Assist Qualified Undocumented Students Obtain Postsecondary Education," NACAC Bulletin, April 2002, volume 40 number 4 (third and final in a series).
June 6 2002: NACAC sends a letter of support to the sponsors of HR 1918, the Student Adjustment Act, the House version of the DREAM Act in the 107th Congress.
The 108th Congress (2003 - 2004)
March 6 2003: Letter from the "United We DREAM" coalition (including NACAC) to former Senate co-sponsors of the DREAM Act, to encourage re-introduction in the 108th Congress.
July 17 2003: NACAC elected leaders, representing all 23 state and regional affiliate organizations, sign a letter urging Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) to renew his commitment to the DREAM Act as an original co-sponsor. The letter was hand delivered to Senator Hatch's Salt Lake City office while NACAC leaders met there for the 2003 Leadership Development Institute.
July 21 2003: Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) leads a bipartisan group of Senators to reintroduce the DREAM Act (S 1545) in the 108th Congress.
October 14 2003: NACAC sends a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, urging action on S 1545.
October 21 2003: NACAC members participate in an action alert to Senate Judiciary Committee members.
April 12 2004: NACAC sends a letter to Senate leadership, urging them to schedule floor debate on S 1545, and a letter to the full House, urging support for HR 1684, the House version of the DREAM Act in the 108th Congress.
April 19 2004: NACAC members participate in an action alert on both pending bills. NACAC members in Florida also participate in an alert regarding Florida state bill HB 119, regarding undocumented students in Florida.
April 20 2004: NACAC leaders participate in a "United We DREAM" coalition event and meet with key Congressional members.
June 21 2004: NACAC sends a letter to the House Judiciary Committee urging action on HR 1684.
The 109th Congress (2005 - 2006)
July 25 2005: NACAC reiterated its support for the DREAM Act by sending this Inside Higher Ed article to Judiciary Committee staff, regarding the success of DREAM Act-like legislation in the states.
July 27 2005: NACAC members participate in an action alert on the DREAM Act for the 109th Congress.
October 31 2005: NACAC collaborates with the New England Association for College Admission Counseling (NEACAC) on a media campaign regarding DREAM Act related legislation in Massachusetts. The campaign included an op ed from director of public poilcy David Hawkins; a letter to the Massachusetts Speaker of the House, a joint NACAC-NEACAC press release, and a NEACAC letter to the full legislature.
November 10 2005: "United We DREAM" coaltion sends a letter to conferees on the FY06 Labor/HHS/Education approprations bill (HR 3010) in opposition to an amendment from Congressman Steve King (R-IA) regarding the enforcement of sec. 505 of IIRIRA. The purpose of the King amendment was to discourage states from passing their own DREAM Act-like legislation.
November 11 2005: Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) leads a bipartisan group of Senators in the reintroduction of the DREAM Act (S 2075) for the 109th Congress.
December 5 2005: NACAC members participate in an action alert, urging their Senators to support S 2075. The "United We DREAM" coalition sends a letter of thanks to the new Senate co-sponsors for their leadership on this issue.
December 12 2005: NACAC thanks the new Senate co-sponsors of the DREAM Act in the 109th Congress.
March 22 2006: NACAC urges the Senate Judiciary Committee to include the DREAM Act as an amendment to their comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) legislation.
April 3 2006: NACAC members participate in an action alert, urging the 109th Congress to take action on the DREAM Act.
April 6 2006: Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL) leads a group of bipartisan Representatives in the introduction of the American Dream Act (HR 5131), the House version of the DREAM Act in the 109th Congress.
April 7 2006: An op ed from NACAC director of public policy David Hawkins is published in Inside Higher Ed.
April 12 2006: NACAC thanks the new co-sponsors of the American Dream Act for their leadership on behalf of undocumented students.
May 10 2006: NACAC urges members of the House education and judiciary committees to sign on to HR 5131 as co-sponsors, by sharing talking points regarding the educational and economic benefits of the DREAM Act. NACAC members participate in the "United We DREAM" coalition's national call-in day.
June 27 2006: NACAC participates in a press conference on immigration reform, including the DREAM Act.
July 18 2006: NACAC launches an awareness campaign on the truth about the DREAM Act and the students it would serve. The campaign includes letters, editorials, articles, talking points, and a report from Education Commission on the States.
July 26 2006: NACAC writes to the House Education and the Workforce committee to protest the committee's refusal to proceed with conference on CIR in favor of scheduling of field hearings. A press release went out on July 25 regarding NACAC's position.
August 16 2006: NACAC sends a letter to the full House, urging conference on CIR and action on the DREAM Act in the 109th Congress, including an article from the Los Angeles Times illustrating the plight of undocumented students.
August 30 2006: NACAC press release on the association's position on the status of the DREAM Act, CIR legislation and scheduled field hearings.
September 1 2006: NACAC submitted testimony to the House Education and the Workforce committee for its field hearing in Greeley, Colorado regarding in-state tuition for undocumented students.
The 110th Congress (2007 - 2008)
February 2 2007: NACAC sends a letter of support to Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), new chairwoman of the judiciary subcommittee on immigration issues, thanking her for her leadership on the DREAM Act.
March 1 2007: Congressman Howard Berman (D-CA) leads a bipartisan group of Representatives to reintroduce the American Dream Act (HR 1275), the House version of the DREAM Act in the 110th Congress.
March 2 2007: NACAC members participate in an action alert in support of the reintroduction of the DREAM Act in the 110th Congress. A press release is issued to reiterate the association's support for this important legislation.
March 6 2007: Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) leads a bipartisan group of Senators in the reintroduction of the DREAM Act (S 774) for the 110th Congress.
March 27 2007: NACAC and NYSACAC leaders participate in a forum sponsored by the New York City Bar Association on the DREAM Act. NACAC urges the members of Congress from New York to attend the event and support HR 1275.
April 26 2007: NACAC sends a letter to House legislative directors, outlining the legal framework of HR 1275 and its relevance to the Supreme Court's 1982 Plyler v. Doe decision.
July 16 2007: NACAC sends a letter to the Senate, urging support for the Durbin-Hagel-Lugar amendment to HR 1585, which will add the DREAM Act to the defense authorization bill.
October 23 2007: NACAC sends a letter to the Senate to clarify misconceptions regarding the DREAM Act, and to urge support for the final bill.
No further action was taken on the DREAM Act during the 110th Congress.
The 111th Congress (2009-2010)
March 19, 2009: NACAC sends letter to the South Carolina delegation urging leadership on the DREAM Act in light of South Carolina state law banning undocumented students from state postsecondary institutions.
March 24, 2009: NACAC sends letter to the North Carolina delegation urging support for the DREAM Act and citing concerns about a North Carolina state law to ban undocumented students from all public colleges and universities.
March 25, 2009: NACAC sends letter to the Arkansas delegation urging support for the DREAM Act citing efforts by Arkansas to pass state Senate Bill 799 in order to grant in-state tuition to undocumented students.
March 26, 2009: Both Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Representative Howard Berman (D-CA) lead a bipartisan coalition to reintroduce the DREAM Act (S.729) and the American Dream Act (H.R.1751).
April 8, 2009: NACAC sends letters to the delegations of California, Colorado, Maryland and Tennessee urging support for the DREAM Act in light of actions at the state level in their states to address the issue.
April 20, 2009: NACAC sends letter to the Oregon delegation urging support for the DREAM Act and highlighting student advocacy in their state to allow for in-state tuition for undocumented students.
April 24, 2009: The College Board with the support of NACAC, released a report on undocumented students at a Capitol Hill briefing. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) spoke at the event highlighting the vital importance of this legislation.
April 30, 2009: NACAC sends letters to both the House and Senate outlining key implications of the Dream Act and urging support for this legislation
June 2, 2009: NACAC introduces the Must Read series to keep legislative staff abreast of the lastest information on undocumented students
August 24, 2009: NACAC reached its advocacy goal of sending 1,000 messages in support of the DREAM Act to members of Congress.