Courtesy of American Business Immigration Coalition

American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC), representing over 250 CEOs and business leaders across the country, strongly supports Higher Education Dream Act of 2019, recently introduced by Congressmen John Lewis (D-GA 5) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ 7).  “These undocumented young people are a critical component of our society and economy, and this youth are not political bargaining chips: they are our neighbors, our students, our teachers, our physicians and engineers. They are as American as you or I. And they deserve permanent solutions,” says Mike Fernandez, ABIC Co-Chair and IMPAC Fund Co-Chair, MBF Healthcare Partners Chairman and CEO.  Like the majority of Americans, ABIC staunchly supports permanent protections for DREAMers who form an integral part of our economy and society. Losing the contributions of this population would cost the U.S. economy $351 billion from 2019 to 2028, as well as immeasurable losses in non-quantifiable areas such as business and medical innovation in our country. However, the growth and contributions of many DACA recipients and DREAMers are being stifled due to harmful state policies which bar them from accessing higher education. Across our nation, 20 states prohibit DREAMers from receiving in-state tuition or lack a formal policy regarding the matter, while three states (Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina) explicitly use immigration status to bar enrollment in public universities.