The New York State Senate today rejected legislation that would have allowed undocumented immigrants to receive state financial aid for college, ending advocates’ annual push for the policy change.
The law, known as the DREAM Act, has come before legislators for several years. Its prospects were seen as brightest this year, after Gov. Andrew Cuomo endorsed it. The State Assembly signed off on it in each of the last two years.
But when legislators voted today, the bill received 30 votes. It needed 32 to pass.
Cuomo put out this statement expressing his regret:
I’m disappointed that the New York State Senate failed to pass the New York State Dream Act and denied thousands of hardworking and high-achieving students equal access to higher education and the opportunity that comes with it. I will continue to work with supporters, stakeholders and members of the legislature to achieve this dream and build the support to pass this legislation and preserve New York’s legacy as a progressive leader.
We wrote about the young adults who were advocating for the DREAM Act in New York back in 2012. “The state has invested so much money into the education of undocumented youth,” said one, a graduate of Harry S Truman High School in the Bronx who moved to the U.S. from Mexico when he was nine. “Why not follow through with financially helping them go to college?”