Public Affairs Videos

Earning a college degree has been an impossible dream for many undocumented immigrant students, until now. Washington recently became the fourth state in the nation to offer financial aid to students brought into the country illegally as children. The new law – dubbed the Dream Act of Washington state – will create economic and academic opportunities for hundreds, but some critics say it will add even more pressure to a state financial aid system that is already turning away more than 30,000 students a year. Two students who will benefit from the new law share their stories. And we talk with State Rep. Zack Hudgins, the lead sponsor of the Dream Act in the House; Craig Keller, of Respect Washington, who has filed an initiative to repeal the new law; Rich Stolz, executive director of OneAmerica, which supports the new law; and Ira Mehlman, of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), which seeks to stop illegal immigration.