Victory! Maryland DREAM Act Passes, Just Hours Before Deadline

When the U.S. Senate failed to pass the DREAM Act last year, and provide a just way for undocumented youth who have grown up American to continue their education, the battle moved to the states.

After years of dogged organizing by local DREAM Act networks and CASA de Maryland-- and thousands of actions from Change.org members -- Maryland has finally passed an historic in-state tuition bill that was nine years in the making.

Still, the last few hours of the MD DREAM Act battle were as unpredictable and as they were tense. On Friday, the Maryland House joined the Senate in voting to approve the "Maryland DREAM Act" by a margin of 74-66. The measure was poised to clear a procedural vote in the Maryland Senate on Monday afternoon, when the proceedings took an unexpected U-turn. Maryland State Senators did not approve the amendments directly, but rather sent the bill back to a conference committee and on to face yet another vote in both chambers -- before the midnight deadline!

Amidst growing uncertainty, DREAM Act advocates at CASA de Maryland quickly called on the Change.org community to send messages to their Maryland representatives -- and hundreds of individuals took action immediately. Sparing no drama, the MD Senate approved the measure just a few short hours before the midnight deadline, 27 to 19, and the final House vote was a closer 74-65, according to initial tallies. As the last of the votes came in and the verdict became clear, the undocumented youth and community leaders who had gathered to watch the vote burst into cheers of joy. They hurried over to thank the delegates.

When the House passed its version of the in-state tuition bill Friday, Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown congratulated the House of Delegates, saying, "The only way Maryland will continue to thrive is if we embrace all who wish to contribute to our great State. Allowing children of undocumented immigrants who have attended and graduated from Maryland high schools to access an affordable college education will help them give back, both in taxes from higher paying jobs and through service to their community.” Gov. Martin O'Malley has indicated that he intends to sign the bill as early as April 25th, making Maryland the 11th state in the U.S. to enact in-state tuition for undocumented students who are long-time residents.

This is a major win for immigrant youth and allies in Maryland, and their supporters, who were working up to the last minute to rally support for this critical change. Thanks to all those who took action, and in spite of the last-minute kerfuffle, Jackie and Jamie -- and thousands of Maryland youth like them -- will soon be able to pursue their dreams of going to college and giving back to the country they call home.

As DREAM Act leader Gaby Pacheco tweeted Monday, "11 states down, 39 to go."