Senator Jose Peralta with DREAMers at Flushing Meadows Corona Park (Photo: Office of Jose Peralta)
April 13, 2018 By Tara Law
State Senator Jose Peralta held a press conference Friday to urge his colleagues in the State Senate to pass the DREAM Act, which would give undocumented childhood arrivals access to financial aid for college.
Standing in front of the Unisphere in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Peralta said that the time had come for the bill– first introduced in 2013–to be passed by the senate.
The bill has been stalled in the senate for years, since the GOP controls the chamber and is opposed to it. The GOP has had a firm grip on the senate aided until earlier this month by a break-away group of Democrats that included Peralta. While the splinter group–known as the Independent Democratic Conference– has reunited with mainstream Democrats, the GOP remains in charge by a slim margin.
The bill, which has been passed by the Democrat-controlled Assembly, would provide DREAMers with access to the state’s Tuition Assistance Program, which can subsidize the cost of college by up to $5,164 on an annual basis.
Of the 4,500 undocumented students who graduate from New York high schools each year, only 5 to 10 percent attend college, according to Peralta’s office. Many don’t attend because they can’t afford it, he added.
To qualify for the program, students need to prove that they have attended a New York high school for at least two years before graduating.
Peralta said it was an injustice that DREAMers don’t have access to this aid.
“It’s time to right this wrong, especially now, when New York is under attack from the White House. Amid this political climate, the State has become the front lines to protect New Yorkers,” Peralta said.
Peralta said it is worth the cost to taxpayers since undocumented immigrants contribute $1.1 billion in state and local taxes, according to the Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy.
“Making the DREAM a reality would cost the average taxpayer 87 cents, not even a dollar. This is an investment, since the average college graduate pays every year about $4,000 more in state taxes than New Yorkers without a college degree,” he said.
Peralta’s opponent in this year’s state senate race, Jessica Ramos, was critical of Peralta and said he had failed to help DREAMers in recent years. She said his affiliation with the Independent Democratic Conference has played a part in why the DREAM Act has yet to be passed.
“For two straight years, Peralta blocked the DREAM Act by conceding power to the Republicans. Now, with an election looming, Peralta has decided he is a Democrat who will fight for the DREAM Act once again,” Ramos said. “Queens residents won’t fall for this bait and switch—it’s too little, too late.”
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11 Comments
Hey Joe and “The Truth”. Illegal aliens are not eligible for many benefits that they receive. To start with, they are not “eligible” to even be in the United States. What you no doubt label “sanctuary” I call TRESPASSING.
To the issue at hand, (SNAP, food stamps) the USDA allows the following: A family of 3, #1 “father” illegal, working illegally income above poverty level; #2 “mother” amnesty green card (let’s say for spousal abuse history in her country); and #3 an “anchor” baby. The USDA counts this as a family’s income as low enough to quailfy, and the family gets food stamps. Because of the father illegal status, his income is prorated. This formula gets even worse when an illegal dreamer or two is added to the mix.
There are dozens of other government subsistence programs where illegals cheat and lie their way into receiving. They have no respect for US sovereignty or laws. This should not surprise even you two guys. Do you care to discuss other examples of illegal alien theft?
On the positive side, I like that you are using the more accurate term “illegal aliens”. It is much more honest than the usual labels DACA, undocumented, dreamers or simply lumping all immigrants together. It is reassuring that you are perhaps getting ‘woke’.
“The Truth”??? ha. I suggest that you do research. Or at least change your handle to “The Truth, I think, maybe”
Hey Tony- it’s not tress passing when you’re invited and given a job by an Anerican company that knows you’re illegal. Your bogus take on “benefits” fraud by illegals has been proven to be outright lies. Was the woman who was granted amnesty in your scenario granted amnesty by the Regan administration? I feel illegals should be deported but I also know that illegals will continue to come with this “revolving door” policy as long as companies continue to hire them without adequate retribution and legal remification and continue to entice them over the boarder. Unlike you I have faith in my position and ideology and don’t need to resort lies and deception. You’re nothing but a manipulated poorly informed liar.
What about all those red blooded Americans living off of welfare ? They are not illegal, any comments about that ?
Do all you supporters of “DREAMERS and ILLEGAL immigrants” lock your home or apartment doors when you leave them? Or are your doors unlocked leaving your possessions available to others? Do you allow and encourage people to move into your homes and live off of what you have worked and paid for? When you park your vehicles do you leave your keys in the ignition so that others can use your vehicle? Why not? Think about this! If you do please let me know where you live and where you park! Also, please let me know what country in the world I can enter ILLEGALLY and be treated the way ILLEGALS are treated in the US! Any company or person in the US should be held equally responsible for their actions!
You are one paranoid person . Stay indoors and don’t come out .
There are plenty of CITIZENS and legal immigrants who also have “dreams”. State Senator Jose Peralta feels that we should pay for the “dreams” of these illegal aliens.
ou wonder if these people know anything about illegal immigration? if they did they wouldn’t be so happy espicially with their taxes. When will politicians learn that when you reward illegal immigration with jobs, drivers licenses, discounts in college tuition, scholarships, etc that encourages illegal entry. True many government officals are in favor of open borders and legalization this is why they reward.
DACA recipients care about one thing, themselves. They have used billions of taxpayer dollars, American citizens have been victimized by the thousands by illegal aliens. But what matters to illegal aliens is getting as much as they can from any benefits they can get.
Remember these “immigrants” have cost American taxpayers billions of dollars and could care less. There is an estimated 800,000 DACA recipients in the US. That is 800,000 jobs American Citizens dont have or will be in competition for. There not all picking strawberries they take great Jobs. Good enough jobs to buy homes put their kids through college. So when you hear of the contributions by illegal aliens paying taxes. Remember that also is at a cost in jobs citizens should have.
Just some of the costs associated with illegal immigration, we will pass this burden on to our children as has been passed on to us. We’ve been paying this for decades.
*The CBO (congressional budget office) estimates it will cost American taxpayers 26 billion over the next 10 years if 1.8 million re legalized.
*The cost of educating illegal aliens children is staggering. From K-12 it costs taxpayers $122,000 for EACH illegal alien student. This does not include the billions spent on bilingual education for illegal aliens.
*Currently city, and state officials are appropriating millions of taxpayer dollars for legal fees to to file law suits and in defense of illegal aliens being deported.
*2012 illegal aliens sent home $62 BILLION in remittances back to their countries of origin. This is why Mexico is getting involved in our politics.
*30% percent of all Federal Prison inmates are illegal aliens. Does not include local jails and State Prisons. At $21,000 per year expense per inmate in Federal Prison U do the math.
*$3Million Dollars a DAY is spent to incarcerate illegal aliens, I repeat 3 MILLION a DAY to process Illegals in the Criminal justice system.
*$2.2Billion dollars a year is spent on is spent on food assistance programs such as SNAP (food stamps) WIC, & free school lunches.All can be found on google.
Wow , you should tell him directly, his office is there on Junction Blvd.
Michelle – Interestingly, not once throughout your long winded rant of a post did you mention the companies and individuals who are hiring these illegal aliens and enticing them over the boarder. These companies like Hornel Meats, Corning Glass, Tyson, Seven Eleven, just to name a few have made and saved billions in their practice of hiring illegal and undocumented immigrants. You mentioned competing with dreamers for 800K jobs, what about the millions of jobs given illegally to the illegal immigrants by these up standing Anericans who are also engaging in illegal activity and sticking the Anerican taxpayer with the bill? Let us guess you’re Fox informed. Brainwashing at its very best. Thanks for the one sided and fairly misleading post.
Michele: illegal aliens are not eligible for SNAP benefits. Check SNAP web site or Google: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
SNAP Policy on Non-Citizen Eligibility
Last Published: 03/24/2017
A person must be a U.S. citizen or an eligible, lawfully-present non-citizen to qualify for SNAP benefits. Non-citizens who are eligible based on their immigration status must also satisfy other SNAP eligibility requirements such as income and resource limits to receive SNAP benefits.
Thanks Joe , hopefully Michele will spend more time researching before commenting .