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“Town Hall” Event Hopes To Shed Light On Struggles Of Undocumented Students

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Ana Alvarez
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Meghan Montagna
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Rowan chapter.

This October 30th the New Jersey DREAM Act Coalition (NJDAC), Office of Multicultural Affairs, and other organizations around campus will all be helping to host an event called “Town Hall: Students in the Shadows.” It will be held in the Student Center Ballroom from 12:30-3 p.m.
 
Advocacy for immigrant youth is at the core of NJDAC’s work, and they are proudly bringing it to a public New Jersey college that is demographically very different from towns along the Northeast Corridor Line. This program will introduce the DREAM Act, highlighting the unique adversities of undocumented young adults in the state and underscoring the need for immigration reform: the DREAM Act and the NJ In-State Tuition Bill specifically. They will bring a panel of experts and representatives from various social sectors.
 
The DREAM Act is a bill that was proposed over ten years ago, which would provide relief to undocumented students who have grown up in the U.S and have gone through the educational system.
 

Based on the requirements, students would have to finish high school and then complete two years of higher education or serve two years in the military. As of right now only thirteen states have passed In-State Tuition, New Jersey not being one of them. New Jersey has failed to pass legislation that would allow undocumented students living here to pay in state tuition.
 
This event will be bringing District 5 Assemblyman Angel Fuentes who will discuss what influence legislatures can have on DREAM Act eligible students. Pulitzer Prize winner Jose Antonio Vargas, who recently revealed his undocumented status, shocking the world due to his plethora of accomplishments, will also be in attendance. Yael Bromberg J.D., who recently graduated from Rutgers Law School, has fought for immigrant rights including the In-State Tuition bill and will be at the event. Last but not least on the list, a DREAMer  (undocumented student who is eligible for the DREAM Act) will be sharing his/her own personal story.
 
Every year 65,000 undocumented students graduate from high school. Many of them work two or three jobs just to pay for school. These students are the valedictorians, top of the class, top athletes, and go unrecognized for these accomplishments. These are children who were brought here by their parents looking for a bright future, and they do not deserve to suffer. This event hopes to educate the vast array of people who are unaware of this ongoing struggle.

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A senior English major at Rowan University, Meghan spends most of her time reading, writing, working out, and watching dramatic TV shows. She also likes to experiment in the kitchen, trying out the recipes she learned in cooking class during her semester abroad in Florence. Meghan has recently completed an internship in the Features department of the Courier-Post newspaper, and will continue to work for them and Jersey Eats magazine as a freelancer. Aside from class, most of her time on campus is spent in the publications suite, where she is the new Features Editor of Rowan's award-winning student newspaper, The Whit. Sushi, country music, and the gym get her through her days, and she is so excited to be joining the Her Campus team!