WASHINGTON (By Maria Leon) June 29, 2004 - The National Council of La Raza, one of the country's most influential Latino organizations, announced Monday a campaign to convince Congress to pass a bill allowing undocumented immigrants to attend college in the United States.

"It's time we supported our young people and gave them a chance for a better future," NCLR leader Raul Yzaguirre said at a press conference on the third day of the organization's national convention in Phoenix.

The DREAM Act initiative would grant legal status to hundreds of undocumented high-school graduates whose college dreams have been shattered by lack of a Social Security number.

Citing some of the more deserving students as examples, Yzaguirre said the Hispanic community supports the initiative and is calling on Congress to approve the measure.

Honor student Yuliana Huicochea dreams of going to college and landing a good job to support her family - but may never get the chance because she faces deportation to Mexico.

Neither good grades nor exemplary conduct helped Huicochea and three fellow students who were stopped by immigration authorities on the Canadian border in 2002 on their way home from representing their high school at a prestigious science competition.

The four students were detained when a U.S. Border Patrol agent found that none had legal residency in the United States.

Known as the "Wilson Four," Huicochea, Luis Nava, Oscar Corona and Jamie Duran were among the best-known honor students at Phoenix's Wilson High School.

At a press conference, Huicochea told reporters she feels like an American since she has lived in Arizona since she was four years old.

The 19-year-old's story is similar to those of hundreds of students brought to this country as undocumented immigrants by their parents, too young to understand they were breaking the law.

According to the NCLR, around 65,000 undocumented students came to this country when they were still very young children.

Yzaguirre called on Congress and the George W. Bush administration to back the initiative.

"The future of students like Yuliana is in the hands of our Congress," said Yzaguirre.

"We're taking away the opportunity to be worthwhile men and women from thousands of young people who could be the next doctors, lawyers and teachers," he said.

If approved, the DREAM Act would grant legal status to undocumented students who have lived in the United States for more than five years and graduated from high school here.

"The only thing that stands in the way" of the bill's approval, said Yzaguirre, is a lack of interest by some lawmakers.

The DREAM Act has been stuck in the Senate since it was approved by the Judiciary Committee last October.

Meanwhile, Huicochea, Nava, Corona and Duran have asked the immigration judge in charge of their cases to delay the ruling to see if Congress approves the measure. The judge granted them only a 6-month stay.