Sen. Durbin's office
Balderas, Faust and Durbin chatting at Durbin's office.
By Maria Sacchetti, Globe Staff
Quote:
Harvard University President Drew Faust and an immigrant student arrested in June for being in the United States illegally from Mexico joined forces in Washington this afternoon to urge the Senate to let undocumented students like him apply for legal residency.
Faust and sophomore Eric Balderas paid a highly unusual and symbolic visit to Illinois Senator Richard Durbin's office at the Capitol to promote the Dream Act as the measure is gathering steam for a possible vote, said Durbin spokesman Max Gleischman.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said this week that he wants to attach the act to a defense bill and bring it up for a vote next week. Balderas was detained in June on his way back to Harvard for the summer and Durbin stepped in to prevent his deportation. Faust and Balderas also visited Durbin to thank him for his support.
"I'm anxious to do this," said Durbin, a chief sponsor of the bill, before meeting with Faust and Balderas today. "I can't tell you how many people come up to me and look me in the eye and ask me, 'When is this going to happen?" It breaks my heart. Many of them have tears in their eyes. ... They come forward and say, 'It's my life, give me a chance.' That's what I'm going to try to do."
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