The D.R.E.A.M. Act Symposium
Conversation about Immigration, Education, & Public Policy

April 9, 2009:  8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Southern Methodist University campus,
Hughes-Trigg Student Center (map)

The DREAM Act (or the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act) was first introduced in the U.S. Congress in 2001 by a bi-partisan group of Representatives and Senators. The DREAM Act would provide legal residency to students who came to the U.S. as children and desire to seek higher education or serve in the U.S. Armed Forces.  Although it has grown in support since 2001, the political environment concerning more expansive immigration policies have resulted in a stalemate regarding passage of the DREAM Act.

It is estimated that each year in the U.S. about 65,000 students who would qualify for the DREAM Act's benefits graduate from high school.

This Symposium will bring academics, students, educators, business leaders, proponents, policy makers, and opponents together to dialogue on What is the economic and public policy  impact of having well-trained graduates unable to work? What is a suitable blueprint for Immigration reform in the Obama Administration?

Immigration Expert, Frank Sharry, Founder of America's Voice, a national Immigration policy and advocacy organization is the Keynote Speaker.

AGENDA

8:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. – Registration (Ballroom area)

9:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. –Welcome (Theatre)

Dr. Cordelia Candelaria, Dean of Dedman College of Humanities and Science, Southern Methodist University
Setting the Stage: Why is this important and what should we come away with at the end of the day?

Yolette Garcia, Assistant Dean, External Affairs and Outreach, Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Development

Larry James, President, Central Dallas Ministries

Rene Martinez, LULAC District 3 Immigration Coordinator

 

9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – Morning Plenary (Theatre)

What is the economic and public policy impact of having well-trained graduates unable to work?
In what ways may this affect the American economy, our country’s edge in innovation and intellectual capital?

Moderator: Michael Sorrell, J.D., President, Paul Quinn College

Speakers:

Diana Flores, Vice Chair, Board of Trustees, Dallas County Community College District

Dr. Marcus Martin, President, Education Is Freedom, Inc.

Dr. Lloyd Jeff Dumas, Professor of Political Economy, Economics, and Public Policy, UT-Dallas

Dr. Edward Rincon, President, Rincon & Associates

Dr. Felix Zamora, President, Mountain View Community College

Q & A

BREAK

LUNCH:  11:30 – 1:30 p.m.—Lunch with Keynote Address Followed by Panel Discussion

(Ballrooms Central and West)

Invocation: Tom Landis with Rene Martinez

A Blueprint for U.S. Immigration Reform

Keynote Speaker: Frank Sharry, President and Founder, America’s Voice

Introduction: Dr. David J. Chard, Dean of the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of

Education and Human Development

Invited Respondents

Moderator: Cal Jillson, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Political Science

Professor, Dedman College, SMU

Anne Estrada, Consultant and Former Dallas Regional Director of Immigration and

Naturalization Service

Harold W. Stanley, the Geurin-Pettus Distinguished Chair in American Politics and

Political Economy, Dedman College, SMU

Nathan Cortez , Assistant Professor of Law, Dedman School of Law, SMU

Beto Cardenas, Attorney, Vinson & Elkins LLP; Executive Counsel, Americans for Immigration Reform; Former General Counsel to Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Q & A

BREAK

 

 

1:45 p.m. –2:30 p.m. – Action/Dialogue Sessions (choose 1 or 2)

RED Session – Accessing Higher Education (The Forum)

Accessing higher education may be a daunting, but not impossible process. Join experts from higher education and community organizations for a discussion that will cover the historical context of the federal and state versions of the DREAM Act and learn how to leverage existing resources to go to public/private colleges and universities in Texas.

Facilitators:

Fernando Salazar, Director, Hispanic Student Affairs, SMU

Michelle Bobadilla, Senior Associate Vice President for Outreach Services, UT Arlington

Leila Gary, Public Policy Analyst, Education Is Freedom

Rey De Los Santos, Director, LULAC, National Educational Service Centers

BLUE Session – Beyond Student Status - Employment and Workforce issues - (Ballroom East)

Many students face the great uncertainty of whether they will be able to use their degrees to enter the

workforce following graduation. This session will cover the requirements for employment

authorization in the U.S. and any special requirements to enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Facilitators:

Major Jose Ortiz. U.S. Army Reserve, JAG Corps

Tessy Ortiz, Attorney at Law
 

2:30 – 4:00 p.m. – Action/Dialogue Sessions

RED Session 3—A Call for Student Leadership (The Forum)

The Mega Marches of 2006 around the United States were galvanized by students in a digital age who

used texting, blogs, facebook, and email to communicate with their peers and effect change. This session will address the motivations of student leadership, and the challenges and opportunities students face as they mobilize.

Facilitators:

Liz Cedillo-Pereira, Attorney At Law

Ramiro Luna - DREAM Act.com

Julietta Garibay - University Leadership Initiative

Benita Veliz – College graduate facing deportation
 

BLUE Session – Legal Rights Track (Ballroom East)

Many immigrants find themselves in ICE custody following routine traffic stops or as a result of worksite raids. What, if any, legal rights do they have and what are practical steps for exercising those rights?

Facilitators:

Eric Cedillo, Cedillo-Pereira & Cedillo, PLLC

Erin Pederson, Catholic Charities of Dallas

David Mullins, Catholic Charities of Dallas

3:15 p.m. - Wrap-Up and Summary of Next Steps (The Forum)

Moderator: Yolette Garcia, Assistant Dean, External Affairs and Outreach, Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development

5:00 p.m. – Reception (Ballroom area)

Invited Entertainment:

Excerpt from Son of A Immigrant or How to Owe the Dream by Phillip Morales, SMU Alumnus and

Dallas Playwright

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This event is sponsored by the Texas Dream Act Coalition, which includes the following member organizations: