Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is up for re-election in November 2014, was supposed to address the public at Farmingdale State College on Long Island early Saturday, March 22 about the state budget, following Monday's sudden and disappointing veto of the NY DREAM Act bill. Cuomo's abrupt last minute cancellation was reportedly due to a need to go to Albany to work on the budget. Cuomo's failure to appear, however, did not stop protesters from speaking out about their concerns.

The proposed NY DREAM Act would allocate funds (financial aid and scholarships) to undocumented students who meet in-state tuition requirements, so that more could access higher education.

There are more than 4,500 undocumented students who graduate from high school on a yearly bases; yet, only 5-10 percent of those students pursue a college degree, due to the extreme financial obstacles.

Members of the Long Island DREAM Act Coalition were ready demonstrators at the cancelled event, armed with a bevy of signs that read "Cuomo, Don't Cut the DREAM Out," "If you can DREAM, why can't we?" "We <3 NY DREAM Act" "Support NY Dream Act: Equal Education," and "Long Island Supports the DREAM." And, the chants, "Governor Cuomo add the DREAM Act Now!" and "New York for all of us ... add the DREAM Act now" brought the message home.

The disappointment was visible as the concerned organizers and community members of assorted nationalities, ages, ethnicities and walks of life verbalized their belief in the NY DREAM Act.

Previously, IDC Leader Sen. Jeff Klein (D-Bronx) promised the Long Island DREAM Act Coalition and others that the bill wouldn't be voted on until it had the support needed in order to pass, but he failed to deliver on that promise. He and Republican Senate Leader Sen. Dean Skelos, R-Rockville Center opted to bring the controversial bill to the floor on Monday, where if failed by two votes; 30-29... just 32 votes were needed.

Two seats are vacant in Senate and two Republican senators missed the vote. In order to pass, the Dems need two of the 28 Reps to vote on behalf of the NY DREAM Act; instead two Democratic senators voted against the bill.

Sen. Mark Grisanti and others who voted against the act claimed that they could not justify funds being spent on undocumented students when citizens were struggling; the bill including $25 million in tuition assistance and up to $5,000 per year for students attending four-year schools.

One of the key organizers for the protests was Victoria Daza, who works with Long Island Jobs with Justice. She and the other attendees urged Governor Cuomo to add the NY DREAM Act to the state budget before the March 31 deadline.

"We're here today because Governor Cuomo was supposed to come here and talk about tax cuts, meanwhile there are students all over Long Island who are not eligible to receive financial assistance for a college education. We feel that this is wrong, and that he needs to add DREAMers to the state budget," Daza said to the small crowd of onlookers, as observed by Latin Post.

Osman Canales, Founder of LISSA, Long Island Immigrant Student Advocates; Laura Lemus, a DREAMer from Long Island Wins; Nathan Burger of Rural and Migrant Ministry, which stands with the disenfranchised, were also present, as well as many others.

Peruvian Nassau Community College student Angel, who was in attendance, came to the United States as a teenager. He worked hard in school and was a model student until his mother was deported, leaving him to care for a younger sibling. Angel's grades also suffered once he realized that he wouldn't be able to afford college due to his status. Angel eventually took on a full-time job so that he could he pursue a degree in Mathematics.

Honduran Hunter College Student Nelson was also present at the rally; a young man who came to the United States as a teenager, and was a tirelessly ambitious student, couldn't receive funding due his status. Because of this, Nelson has to take off every other semester from school so that he can work full-time, so that he can save up and pay education, focusing on political science and international relations.

Both young men applied for, and were granted, Deferred Action two years ago, and must apply for it again this year. Undocumented students may apply for the discretionary determination process to deter removal from the United States. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, is conditional, and requires that the undocumented individual be in school, be younger than 30-years old, me a "model" citizen, and reside in the United States for at least five years.

The Long Island DREAM Act will be hosting another demonstration this upcoming Wednesday at Governor Cuomo's office in Hicksville, feel free to contact Victoria Daza or go to www.longislandjwj.org for more details.