For Immediate Release: April 15, 2026
Contact: Michael Earls at [email protected]
Read the new joint letter online HERE
Washington, DC – In a new joint letter issued today, TheDream.US and The Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration write in strong support of the Empire State Licensing Act (S.1086A / A.675A) – legislation that would ensure that all New Yorkers, regardless of citizenship or immigration status, are eligible to obtain professional, occupational, commercial, or business licenses if qualified.
As the joint letter notes: the organizations’ support “is informed by our policy research, demographic analyses of immigrant origin students, and our collective work with colleges, universities, and students across New York State. Through this work, we have seen how access to professional licensure functions as a key pathway to opportunity, enabling immigrant origin students and graduates to contribute their skills and education to New York’s workforce and economy … With close to 170,000 first generation immigrant students enrolled in higher education institutions in New York, including over 25,000 undocumented students, expanding access to professional licensure to qualified applicants will benefit the New York economy and its communities.”
According to Gaby Pacheco, President & CEO of TheDream.US:
“Expanding access to professional licenses will not only bolster opportunities and strengthen the futures of immigrant students and graduates, but also the current and future workforce needs of New York State as a whole, especially in essential fields like nursing and teaching.”
According to Miriam Feldblum, President & CEO of the Presidents’ Alliance:
“Access to professional licensure is a critical bridge to meaningful career pathways for immigrant students in New York. This legislation removes unnecessary barriers and allows qualified individuals to fully contribute their skills, training, and talents in essential fields, directly addressing statewide workforce shortages. Expanding licensure access will strengthen the state’s economy and ensure New York remains competitive with other states that have already enacted similar legislation.”
The new joint letter, which was sent to New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, and other Members of the New York State Legislature, is available in full online HERE.
About TheDream.US
TheDream.US is the nation’s leading organization supporting Dreamers at the intersection of higher education, workforce development, immigration, and advocacy. We’ve awarded over 12,000 scholarships to immigrant youth from 120+ countries and 45 states, with 4,500 graduates to date. We partner with close to 80 colleges in 19 states and Washington D.C. to provide scholarships, career support, and access to legal options that help Dreamers break through systemic barriers and achieve social mobility.
Through data, Scholar and Alumni stories, strategic partnerships, and targeted state and local advocacy, we work to expand equitable access to college, professional pathways, and permanent legal status. For more information on TheDream.US, visit www.thedream.us
About The Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration
The nonpartisan, nonprofit Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration brings college and university presidents and chancellors together on the immigration issues that impact higher education, our students, campuses, communities and nation. We work to support immigrant, international and refugee students, and advance forward-looking immigration policies and practices at the federal level, in our states, and across our college campuses. The Alliance is composed of close to 600 college and university presidents and chancellors of public and private colleges and universities, enrolling over five million students in 42 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico.
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