'Applause and tears' as New York legislature passes college financial aid for undocumented youth

The Democratic-led New York state legislature passed historic legislation on Wednesday allowing undocumented immigrant youth to access state financial aid and scholarships for college. Immigrant youth and local organizations, who have for years been organizing to get the New York Dream Act enacted into law, “erupted in applause and tears.”

“With no access to state financial loans or any other assistance, I was forced to drop out of school,” said Jessel Pinzon, an organizer with the advocacy group Make the Road New York. “I could no longer work to be able to pay for school and support my family. The passage of this bill will allow me to return to school and allow me to finish my college career.”

While undocumented immigrant New Yorkers have been eligible to pay in-state tuition, the New York Dream Act goes further. The New York Times reports that, “In passing the state Dream Act, New York joined California, Texas, New Mexico, Washington, Oregon and Minnesota, which have already passed similar legislation offering undocumented students access to state-funded financial aid.”

While the bill does share a name with the federal DREAM Act, it doesn’t give any legal status to undocumented immigrant New Yorkers—only Congress can do that. But there are actions states can take to ensure more equal opportunities for immigrant residents. It’s catching on, too.

A day after New York’s action, Florida state legislators announced a new bill that would extend in-state financial aid for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Temporary Protected Status recipients. “It’s in our state’s best interest to help these students succeed, not create obstacles to their academic achievement,” said state Rep. Carlos Smith.

The New York legislation, expected to be signed into law by the governor, is also a testament to the power of immigrant youth, organizing, and local elections. The New York Dream Act came close to passing in 2014, “but a group of Democratic state senators that caucused with Republicans, known as the Independent Democratic Conference (IDC), stymied efforts to enact it,” Think Progress said. Nearly all IDC members were kicked out of office last year.

Undocumented youth pay over $100 million in local and state taxes every year, but can’t access some services that they pay into. Some of that will now change, thanks to their own work. “I will be starting my first semester at Suffolk Community College next week,” said Eugenia Rodríguez, another Make the Road New York organizer. “This is a great milestone in my education, but I was not sure if next semester I will be able to continue going to college. But with the New York Dream Act, I will.”

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