The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives are taking another look at the federal DREAM Act, and a group of WSU student groups are campaigning on its behalf.

The federal DREAM Act would provide some children of illegal immigrants conditional legal status and eventual citizenship.

The 10 student groups, who will be on Glenn Terrell Mall this week, were organized by a WSU student. The student did not wish to be identified because of his status as an undocumented student, or a 1079 student as it is known in the state of Washington. The groups will have a drafted letter for Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-WA, for students to sign, as well as laptops for people to e-mail state and national representatives.

“We want to deconstruct some of the stereotypes around immigrants and to bolster the basis of truth,” said Ben Martinez, a member of the Multi-Culturally Affiliated Student Organization.

Under the act, students become eligible for citizenship if they earn a degree at two-year community colleges, complete at least two years toward a four-year degree, or serve two years in the U.S. military.

The bill has appeared in a similar form multiple times during the past decade. On Oct. 24, 2007, the U.S. Senate voted 52-44 in a test vote supporting the DREAM Act, though the bill never came up for passage.

In 2003, the state Legislature passed a law allowing students of illegal immigrants to pay resident tuition rates. Nine other states have passed similar laws, though Oklahoma repealed its law in 2007.

Under the law, potential 1079 students must request an affidavit through the Office of Financial Aid when applying to WSU. These students must have resided in Washington state for three years prior to receiving a high school diploma or the equivalent of a diploma.

Though information regarding the number of 1079 students at WSU is unavailable, 47 students applied for the affidavit for the 2008-09 school year. The figure represented a decrease from the 2007-08 school year after four straight years of going up.

Bilingual financial aid counselor Chui Martin said the largest portion of 1079 students come from Hispanic origins and have lived in Eastern Washington, though 1079 students at WSU have came from Eastern Europe, Ukraine and Africa, among other places.

He said when potential 1079 students contact him prior to coming to WSU, they are mostly concerned about affordability because they are not eligible for federal financial aid and future job opportunities.

“I don’t see them as 1079 students, just individual students like anybody else,” he said. “They have the same dreams, just more hurdles to get over.” Martin said most of the university’s financial aid counselors became knowledgeable about issues regarding 1079 students through the state Higher Education Coordinating Board.

“People are becoming more proactive about this and educating themselves to help these students,” he said.

Rafael Pruneda, co-chairman of the Chicano/a Latin/a Student Alliance, said he has multiple friends who are 1079 students. Because 1079 students are not eligible for federal financial aid, Pruneda said they have to work harder than him to earn college money, often through hard-to-find scholarships and long summer working hours.

He also said the DREAM Act would be a way for the U.S. to pay back Mexico for past atrocities against immigrants, including the Repatriation Movement of the 1930s, when the U.S. government deported large numbers of Mexicans amid fears about jobs during the Great Depression.

“This was more than a million people,” he said. “That is more than the Japanese internment camps, which America has publicly apologized for,” he said.

College Republicans President Chris Howe said the DREAM Act would provide an incentive for people to immigrate through illegal channels, even though he understands the parents, not the children, are at fault.

“It would be encouraging people to come here the wrong way,” he said.

Alexander Smith, College Republicans historian and president-elect, said illegal immigration should not be encouraged because illegal immigrants hurt the economy by not paying property and income taxes, as well as forcing U.S. citizens to pay their health care bills.

He also said he is worried President Barack Obama will make it easier for illegal immigrants to come to the country.

“With immigration you have to crack the whip and keep these immigrants following the law,” he said.

Groups involved with this week’s DREAM act campaign include MEChA, La Hermandad de O eMe Te, the Black Student Union, CAMARADAS, M.A.S.O., the Middle Eastern Students Association, the Progressive Student Union, La Alianza de WSU, Chicano/a Latin/a Student Alliance and the Young Democrats.

Martinez said he is optimistic the act will pass with the Obama administration, but the issue is more geographic and socioeconomic than partisan.

“The issue tends to be polarized,” he said. “It’s something we need to address through education.”