Illegal immigrants 'Dream' of college

Just a few feet from the FleetCenter, about 40 immigrant leaders from across the country met to call for the immediate passage of legislation that would permit illegal immigrant students access to college. The members of different advocacy coalitions said more than 65,000 students, mostly Hispanics, graduate from American high schools every year but cannot attend college because they were originally brought to the country by parents lacking a legal immigration status. The proposed legislation -- known as Dream Act (Development, Relief and Education relief to Alien Minors) -- would eliminate the federal provisions that discourage states from providing in-state tuition to these students. "We are talking about people who have been in this country for a long time, who pay their taxes, who work hard, who contribute to the U.S. economy, and still live in shadows," said Eliseo Medina, vice president of Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the largest immigrant union in the country. [more]