The Dream Act – Allowing Young Immigrants to Continue their Education
July 10, 2010
As noted in a recent New York Times Article, The Obama administration is apparently allowing students that are illegally in America to continue their studies and remain in the USA despite having knowledge of their condition as illegal aliens. While the Obama administration has been more effective than the previous administration in removing illegal aliens with criminal records, the government is apparently turning a blind eye to illegal promising young students.*
As the United States increasingly loses ground to foreign countries in terms of the number of college graduates per capita, the decision is not only compassionate, with most of these students having been here for a large portion of their lives, but may also be beneficial to the United States’ economy.*
Yet, after almost a decade of attempts, the DREAM Act (The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act), which text was first sponsored as the H.R.1918 – Student Adjustment Act of 2001, continues to fail to obtain the necessary votes to become a law, despite the support of both Republican (43rd President – George W. Bush) and Democratic (44th President – Barack Obama) administrations.
The bill was introduced in the Senate during the 108th Congress – S.1545 (2002-2003), 109th Congress – S. 2075(2005 – 2006), and twice during the 110th Congress (2007 – 2008) – S.774, S.2205, as well as three times in the House during the 108th, 109th, 110th Congress respectively. Unfortunately, the bill has continuously failed to garner enough votes.
If enacted, the bill would allow immigrants who came to the United States before they were 16 and either graduated from high school or obtained their GED to be placed on a path to citizenship after serving in the armed forces for two years or completing two years of study within a four year degree program. Yet, under the current political climate and economic recession, the text of the bill will likely not be enacted until border security increases and illegal immigration rates are curbed.
Despite these odds, hopefully the bill will find support during the next congress session. These immigrants, many of whom did not themselves make the decision to enter the United States illegally, should not be punished for the mistakes of their parents.
Should America not show compassion to this group of highly motivated young immigrants, many of whom feel a strong allegiance to this country? As it is written on “The New Colossus” plaque inside the Statue of Liberty, isn’t America the land of liberty that welcomes the immigrant to the New World? A country founded by immigrants from many different countries should have in place a fair and comprehensive immigration system.
* Students Spared Amid an Increase in Deportations (August 8, 2010)
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/09/us/09students.html?th&emc=th.
* USA now 12th in number of graduates (August 7, 2010):
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/07/opinion/07herbert.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y
