Newswise — On Monday, Nov. 29 Department of Education Sec. Arne Duncan and Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Cecilia Munoz will host a conference call to discuss prospects for passage of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act.
The proposed DREAM Act would provide illegal immigrant students who entered the United States as minors the chance to earn a degree from a higher education institution in the United States during a conditional permanent residency.
At a July speech at American University, President Barack Obama announced his support for the DREAM Act: “We should stop punishing innocent young people for the actions of their parents by denying them the chance to stay here and earn an education and contribute their talents to build the country where they’ve grown up.”
American University, ranked by Princeton Review as the most politically active campus in the nation, has experts available to provide commentary about higher education, immigration and the DREAM Act.
Each expert has substantial experience with press interviews. To request an interview with an American University expert, contact AU’s Communications Office at 202-885-5950 or [email protected].
Fanta Aw, assistant vice president of campus life and former director of the International Student and Scholar Services department, can provide expertise on the cultural, political, and economic dimensions of intercultural programs and services offered at higher education institutions. Aw also teaches a course that examines international student and scholar program management, study abroad initiatives, and curriculum transformation. A board member for NAFSA, the leading processional association for international education, Aw has guided AU’s policies on international education.
Alan Kraut, an expert in immigration history, advises that Obama should emulate Abraham Lincoln’s approach to immigration, as it was also a controversial matter during his time. “Lincoln wrote that when it came to a push for his party to adopt an anti-immigrant stand, he ‘should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty,’” said Kraut. Kraut was a consultant for the Office of Homeland Security on the revision of the history and civics part of the Naturalization Exam.
William LeoGrande, dean of the School of Public Affairs, is an expert on Congress and foreign policy and U.S.–Latin American politics and relations. LeoGrande can provide commentary on how immigration affects higher education.
American University is a leader in global education, enrolling a diverse student body from throughout the United States and nearly 140 countries. Located in Washington, D.C., the university provides opportunities for academic excellence, public service, and internships in the nation’s capital and around the world.
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