New Mexico Daily Lobo
URL: http://www.dailylobo.com/index.php/article/2009/12/asunm_passes_dream_act_resolution_with_no_contest
Current Date: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:43:10 -0700
Article Tools
Use the form below to share this article via email.
Possibly Related:
ASUNM passes DREAM Act resolution with no contest
With over 19 Senators and 40 spectators packed into the ASUNM Senate hall to debate a resolution to endorse the DREAM act, Sen. Zoila Alvarez asked everyone to keep the debate civil.
“I understand that immigration is a very touchy subject,” Alvarez said. “I want to make sure whatever way the senators vote, it is not viewed as prejudice or racism because people are entitled to their vote and entitled to represent the entire student (body).”
But the resolution passed with little debate and no contest, garnering 17 approvals and two abstentions. When anyone did speak up, it was in favor of the resolution.
The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act is a piece of national legislation that would allow undocumented students to remain in the country if they have earned a high school diploma or the equivalent, don’t have a criminal record and have spent two years in either a university or the military, according to OpenCongress.org.
Michael Westervelt, ASUNM vice president, said the turnout in favor of the resolution supporting the Act was the largest he’d seen in his three years in the undergraduate student government. Extra chairs were brought in to accommodate the crowd.
Key members of the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán, the Mexican Student Association, El Centro de la Raza and the League of Latin American Citizens stood before the Senate to support the Dream Act.
President of the Mexican Student Association, Brenda Herrera, told the Senate she has dealt with undocumented minors firsthand, and current legislation doesn’t give students an incentive to stay in school.
“It is hope for a lot of students, not only undergrad students but a lot of students in high school,”
Herrera said. “I work with a lot of undocumented students in high school and their (question) is always, ‘Why do we go to high school for if we are not going to get that degree?’”
The DREAM Act was sponsored by Illinois Sen. Richard Durbin and the latest version was introduced to the Senate on March 26. It has not been voted on. Instead, it was sent back to the Judiciary Committee, according to OpenCongress.org.
The ASUNM resolution supporting the legislation was received more positively. Alvarez, who sponsored the resolution, said the Act is not an umbrella immigration policy.
“This is very specific for students and for minors, particularly when these people were brought over without having a choice,” she said. “This will only apply to people who are under the age of 16 who have graduated from high school or received their GED and have good moral character — who have either attended a two-year institution or two years in the military.”
The ASUNM resolution states that the DREAM Act would help reform “the current immigration system, (which) has disenfranchised many proficient individuals based on choices and situations that were and remain out of (undocumented minors’) control.”
Only two senators abstained from the vote — Brandon Call and Marina Weisert. Yet Weisert, in her opening statement, said it was nice to attach a personality (referring to the 40 plus spectators) to the resolution.
“It’s nice to see your passion behind it,” she said. “I thank you for coming and speaking on your causes. That really does help us formulate a face to it.”
Call said the number of students at UNM who would be affected by this resolution is debatable. He said it is not the the student government’s place to get involved in a national issue.
“I completely agree with (the DREAM Act),” Call said. “I actually signed their initial petition that was sent to the representatives, but I just don’t feel ASUNM … should support a political cause.”
- Think outside the race box, Arizona 9 comments
- Western foreign policy responsible for bombs 10 comments
- Protesters challenge driver’s license legislation 7 comments
- Lobo belittles instead of supporting readership 14 comments
- Lottery Scholarship fund may run out by 2014 21 comments
- GOTB on Think outside the race box, Arizona
It's politically correct and OK to speak about ... - philliphowel on If teachers should be paid in satisfaction, so should CEOs
Lily, the old saw is "you cannot make a silk ... - philliphowel on Legislators debate how to spend budget surplus
POST, I will tip my wine glass to you for a simple ... - Lily on Think outside the race box, Arizona
I agree with this. I have a lot of negative feelings ... - Lily on If teachers should be paid in satisfaction, so should CEOs
Teacher pay should go up. Teachers are not respected ...
- UNM Crime Briefs 16 hours ago
- Website facilitates men’s basketball ticket trades 16 hours ago
- Legislators debate how to spend budget surplus 16 hours ago
- Women break losing streak 16 hours ago
- Davie: 2012 recruits to turn team around 16 hours ago
Upcoming Events
5:00 pm | Lobo Campus Civitan Club
10:00 am | Open House
9:45 am | Sanskrit Course (free)
7:00 pm | Werewolf The Forsaken
3:30 pm | Philosophy Colloquia
6:00 pm | GPSA Grants Workshop
9:00 am | Student Health Insurance Enrollment Deadline
9:00 am | UNM Career Expo
10:00 am | Super Bull
The Independent Voice of University of New Mexico since 1895
The Daily Lobo is published by the students of the University of New Mexico. Please visit our About Us page for contact information.
©2012 New Mexico Daily Lobo
13 comments
Sen. Brandon Call
Flag this comment
Clarifying my quote:
ASUNM is UNM’s representative body. I would have liked to question the “bipartisan” clause in the resolution because, after doing some research of my own, I found that the Dream Act has failed after reaching the U.S. Senate floor, most recently in 2007 by a Republican filibuster. I personally don’t believe ASUNM should pass such a controversial resolution without knowing all the facts, nor should an ASUNM resolution—which carries the weight of the entire student body—be directed toward a minority. In addition, ASUNM’s jurisdiction should be limited to UNM, and a resolution passed by the State Legislature would carry far more weight when presented to our Congressmen.
Read more …
Furthermore, I was not convinced of the number of students this would affect at UNM, considering the Dream Act is geared toward people 12-35 years old who entered the United States at 16 years of age or younger. The estimate of 9,200 undocumented students in public schools in New Mexico, which was provided to Senators by the Somos Un Pueblo Unido organization, did not accurately reflect undocumented students who a) graduate high school, b) attend college, and c) attend UNM, specifically.
As the article states: “the resolution passed with little debate and no contests.” This is because, unfortunately, a “call to question” was raised as soon as the resolution was introduced, and I was not given the opportunity to address the concerns I had.
Rather than voting against the issue outright, I didn’t feel I had all the facts necessary to make an informed decision. So, I abstained, which is a vote neither for or against the resolution.
John
Flag this comment
Looks like Daily Lobo editors were too busy covering their asses and forgot to edit this story too.
Or maybe they expect all readers to know what the DREAM Act is.
And Sen Call is an idiot. What is “call to question”? Is it anything like “call the question”? If you google it it’s more correctly called “call the previous question” and it takes 2/3s of a vote to stop debate – which means more than half the ASUNM senators had made up their minds and didn’t want to waste time arguing with Call and Weisert.
Read more …
Good work ASUNM! You’re following in the footsteps of GPSA for passing useless resolutions. Who do you think you are, congress?
Robert
Flag this comment
Three cheers for ASUNM and for the abstainers. . .once more, life at the shallow end of the pool. I’m sure the campus right-wingers are beside themselves. Maybe you go have a pity party with good ol’ Rush & company.
Elizabeth Kim
Flag this comment
I believe DREAM ACT is not just for undocumented children! This is the biggest misunderstanding where many people still oppose to this act!!! I have stronly urge everyone to realize there are people like me who came to united states at young age because of LEGAL or DOCUMENTED ALIEN PARENTS!!! But when the children turn age 21, they are asked to leave the country because by age 21, they are not considered as a dependent! I’ve lived in US for more than 10 years, going to school, paying taxes even though I was not allowed to work, and never violated any US regulations. However, I am turning 21 this upcomming year and what US is telling me is my visa will expire and I have 30 days to leave the country or else I become ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT. I came here as a dependent of LEGAL IMMIGRANT and the government is practicing these cruel regulation on children whom all, or at least I am, considering US a home growing up and going to college! We are good students but that does not matter. We are good civilians who do not have US citizenship. But we are not crimminal. We are not illegal yet are treated like one. I say dream act is more crucial to students and future Americans like me who came here as Legal and who are still maintaining legal status until the verge of expiration due to age regulation. Please do not disregard the fact that DREAM ACT is very important to DOCUMENTED ALIENS!!!!!!!
Try being illegal in Mexico!
Flag this comment
Central and South Americans are routinely rounded up, beat up/tortured, and returned to the border in the back of pick-up trucks even there are downpours and at night when there are no services when they do arrive at the border of Guatemala.
Try having a headlight out in Mexico and see what happens!
Read more …
Try going to a hospital or clinic and see what happens!
Try walking around without your Visa or passport and see what happens!
Try getting into an accident, even if it isn’t your fault, and see what happens!
Try carrying a gun in Mexico and see what happens!
Try getting caught with drugs, even a joint, and see what happens!
DREAM? LEGALIZE THEIR ILLEGAL DREAMS HERE BUT GO SOUTH AND YOU’LL LIVE THE NIGHTMARE!!!
NO WONDER THEY COME HERE! WHY DON’T THEY STAY THERE AND HAVE AN ASUNM TYPE GROUP THAT PASSES RESOLUTIONS FOR FREEDOM AND RIGHTS THERE?
WHAT PART OF “ILLEGAL” IS SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND? ABORTION IS LEGAL RIGHT? NO MATTER HOW MUCH THE PRO-LIFE ARGUES, IN THE END, IT’S LEGAL!
STAND IN LINE LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE!!!
The Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán, the Mexican Student Association, El Centro de la Raza and the League of Latin American Citizens ARE RACIST GROUPS SIMILAR TO BLACK GROUPS AND ANY OTHER GROUP BASED ON COLOR OR RACE! WHAT IF WE HAD A WHITE STUDENT UNION? THE LEAGUE OF WHITE AMERICAN CITIZENS? RACIST RIGHT? WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE! ALL OF THESE GROUPS ARE STOMPING ON MY RIGHTS!!!
Southwest is Mexico!
Flag this comment
The U.S. STOLE this area from corrupt and greedy Mexicans who had no business selling anything much less Land!
Come to El Centro, ask anyone to see the map with the land that rightly belongs to Mexico and must be returned, and all of you will be illegals and the only ones legal with be those who are now said to be illegal!
Read more …
La Raza, The Race, fights for our Race! Proud and honor! Every Race fights for their Race! We surely aren’t going to depend on Whites or Blacks to help us! If Whites want a White group and Blacks want a Black group, let them! But in my opinion, Whites and Blacks are the biggest racists!
Fight for the return of stolen property!
Casey
Flag this comment
It is not any surprise that this resolution was passed with no contest. I’m certain most of the ASUNM senators are very liberal in their views. Even if some of them aren’t, which one of them would dare to be on the opposing side of such a touchy issue. Especially in a PC mecca such as UNM. I am also willing to bet that the votes of these 17 senators do not in any way represent the views of the whole student body. I would love to see the results of a scientific survey on this issue given to randomly sampled current UNM students. I know that will never happen though.
chayal
Flag this comment
“Southwest is Mexico!” Cac! Just another reason for unm NOT to fund political student groups. This type of crap has no place in a university.
Hank Wilson
Flag this comment
Casey,
Welcome to the United States, where we have an indirect, representative democracy. Would it make sense for Congress to conduct a scientific survey on every issue they voted on?
slowhike
Flag this comment
The extent to which a subordinate culture accepts that power in institutions and organizations is distributed equally drives minority movements. To this end, the illegal immigration movement has been able to garner the support of their legal cousins and emphasize that culture at UNM (and across the state). It is an excellent example of the “tail wagging the dog”. This is obvious because the legal hispanics have no reason to feel the need for any uncertainty or avoidance, at least not in NM. It’s the illegal immigrants who feel threatened by uncertain situations and a lack of acceptance due to their illegal behavior, which in turn influences the Hispanic community in NM.
Individualism, one of the core values in the USA, it is the social framework in which people are supposed to take care of themselves and of their immediate families. Collectivism is the social framework in which people distinguish between individualism and group mentality. They expect their group (read NM Democrats) to look after them, and in exchange for that, owe loyalty to it. This makes it a political instrument-and it is the Democrats who have determined to use it to their political advantage.
Casey
Flag this comment
Hank, yes I am well aware of what you are talking about. The solution in such a case as this is to vote out the incumbents that are not representing their consituents. I predict this will happen in the coming 2010 elections across the nation. This is good, it is democracy in action. In the case of ASUNM however, I seriously doubt many students have the time to get to know the candidates that are running for these positions, or they just don’t care. Im sure many of us have other things to do such as working and pursuing degrees than to worry about who is running for ASUNM. However, if they are going to start endorsing political issues like this then I do start to care and many others are starting to care as well.
slowhike
Flag this comment
“The U.S. STOLE this area from corrupt and greedy Mexicans who had no business selling anything much less Land.” This is an ingnorant comment, one that infuses opposition to illegal immigration. Prefessing objection to state hood in the USA is about as stupid a position as one can take. If this land belonged to Mexico you would be attempting to cross the border into CO, Utah, and Oklahoma. Truly that is the statement of one who has few live brain cells, support for that kind of logic is treason.
Of course UNM is going to vote for the DREAM act. And the DREAM act, is not realy a bad concept, there are many illegal immigration concepts that need to be evaluated for merit and the DREAM act is fairly good policy. Keeping illegal immigrants out in the first place is a much higher priority, and the federal government is closing the border down step by step.
Stew Bone
Flag this comment
Somehow, equating 2 years at university and 2 years in the miltary seems like a god damn shame.
Comments are closed for this item.