Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, is behind the launch of a new website, which advocates the “Dream Act” for immigration reform in the United States.
As private as her iconic husband, the emergence of Powell Jobs in public to support a cause is big news. And given the high stakes of her cause, the headlines are poised to follow every move on immigration reform efforts.
Powell Jobs told Yahoo News the new project was an effort to harness the momentum around the issue and give visibility to the young people who would benefit from the Dream Act.
“There needed to be a demystification—to put a face to these people, to hear the individual stories,” she says in a rare new interview.
The DREAM Act, if you’re not familiar, is a legislative proposal first introduced in 2001. This bill would provide conditional permanent residency to certain undocumented residents of “good moral character.”
Following 12 years of debate, the bill remains to be enacted.
Powell Jobs says her passion for the Dream Act dates back to College Track, an initiative she founded to help low-income and minority students attend college.
“They’re our children’s friends. They are people we know. This is a huge national problem that needs resolution,” she said.
To learn more about the website, click here.
