Sponsors of the New York Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act have critically responded to the state's annual budget's exclusion to provide in-state tuition assistance for undocumented immigrants.

Democratic New York State Sen. Jose Peralta, representing Queens' East Elmhurst, is the lead sponsor of the Senate DREAM Act legislation, and expressed he was "extremely disappointed and infuriated" with the DREAM Act's removal from the state budget's negotiations. In a statement sent to Latin Post, Peralta's office stated the DREAM Act's exclusion from the 2015-2016 New York State budget agreement is an "unfair and unjust action" for the Empire State and the DREAMer community.

"New York State and the DREAMers have really lost out today, again. New York State because we had an opportunity to really live up to our distinction of being a state of innovators and progressive thinkers, and the DREAMers because they had hoped to attend and graduate college and pave the way for the next generation."

Peralta placed blame on New York's Republican lawmakers for their "false fear mongering propaganda" and "perpetuating an intolerant and xenophobic ideology that the sky will fall if we allow these undocumented kids to receive money from the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). Republicans are just promoting lies."

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New York Democratic Assemblyman Francisco Moya, representing Queens' Jackson Heights, also commented on his disappointment with the DREAM Act' failure to be in the budget.

"We had the chance to change the lives of generations of New Yorkers, but the short-sighted opposition of Sen. Dean Skelos and his Republican colleagues has delayed the DREAM once again. Although this budget makes great strides in championing the needs of middle-class families and working New Yorkers, it fails to live up to the promise of New York because of the conspicuous absence of the DREAM Act," said Moya in a statement.

Moya said the push to pass the DREAM Act will continue. He called on New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo to shift focus on the DREAM Act since other ethics and educational reforms were achieved with the budget agreement. As Latin Post reported, Cuomo wrote that the DREAM Act is one of his major priorities, and he acknowledged the DREAM Act would not be included in the budget plan but called for the Legislature to vote on the bill.

"The fact that the DREAM Act was a focal point of this year's budget negotiations speaks to how far we've come, but we'll need action on the part of Gov. Cuomo to make sure the DREAM becomes a reality this year," added Moya. "Our DREAMers can't wait another year, hoping elected leadership will summon the courage to put people before politics."

According to Moya and Peralta, implementing the DREAM Act in New York would cost up to $27 million from approximately the $142 billion budget.

"To understand how illogical Republicans are on this issue, the Dream Act will pay for itself in a few years. And to translate into what it would cost to help undocumented college students for taxpayers, it amounts to 87 cents a year. You cannot even buy a cup of coffee with 87 cents," said Peralta.

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