Five hundred members of the immigrant community and their allies turned out at the Capitol Sunday to express outrage at Gov. Tim Pawlenty's decision to remove the DREAM Act from the higher education omnibus bill.

The DREAM Act, otherwise known as the in-state tuition bill, would provide resident tuition rates to all students graduating from Minnesota high schools after attending at least three years.

For immigrant students, the DREAM Act would provide access to higher education so they are better able to pursue their dreams. Earlier this week, Pawlenty threatened to veto the entire higher education omnibus if this provision was included. Sen. Sandy Pappas, a St. Paul DFLer who authored the legislation in the Senate, called the governors' move "the most outrageous decision I've witnessed in my entire political career."

"The DREAM Act is about providing opportunities to all long-term Minnesota immigrant students," said Sen. Pappas.

Pawlenty's decision to kill the bill came as a great disappointment to hard-working immigrant students, many of whom have been attending Minnesota schools their entire educational lives. The bipartisan bill was supported by members of both parties, including rural Republicans and urban Democrats. Nine other states have passed similar legislation, and it is pending in 18 more.

The community demanded that Pawlenty support the bill in the upcoming special session of the Legislature. His office has left the reasons for his veto threat largely unexplained.

Students from Southwest High School expressed anger at Gov. Pawlenty for his opposition to the DREAM Act. Photo by Quito Ziegler