Immigrant leaders lay out 2015 agenda

Immigrant advocates held rallies across the state Monday to unveil what they would like to hear in Gov. Andrew Cuomo's State of the State address. Members of the New York Immigration Coalition, their

News 12 Staff

Jan 6, 2015, 3:21 AM

Updated 3,618 days ago

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Immigrant advocates held rallies across the state Monday to unveil what they would like to hear in Gov. Andrew Cuomo's State of the State address.
Members of the New York Immigration Coalition, their allies, and community leaders introduced the coalition's 2015 Immigrant Equality Agenda. Coalition members made their case at the Central American Refugee Center in Hempstead.
Hopes include passage of the state DREAM Act and support for unaccompanied minors who have fled Central America.
They are also hoping the DREAM Act legislation will factor in tuition assistance programming or TAP in the state budget for students, regardless of their of immigration status.
"A lot of the advancements we see across the country, they're not coming from the do-nothing Congress in [Washington] D.C. They're coming in the state capitals and we need New York state to catch up," said Patrick Young of the New York Immigration Coalition.
In March 2014, the state Senate was two votes short of passing the New York Dream Act.
Many expect Gov. Cuomo to discuss his plans for the legislation when he delivers his State of the State address on Jan. 21.