The DREAM Act Benefits All of Us

Today I write in support of getting the bill known as the DREAM Act (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) back onto the Senate floor. This bill will benefit America as a whole and I find that ignorance and fear are two of the factors that are keeping it from being passed. Ignorance, because not everyone understands that the requirements to qualify are strict and hardly a cake walk and fear, because some are afraid of the message being sent by “rewarding” what they consider “illegal activity”, which is simply not the case.
The DREAM Act is a proposal to help young illegal immigrants flourish in society and ultimately become legal residents of the U.S. To qualify to benefit, a person must have come into the U.S. before the age of 16 and not be over the age of 30. Said person would have six years to complete a two-year college degree, two years toward a four-year degree or be enlisted in the military for two years and only be discharged honorably. Said person must also be in good standing with the law. Upon these requirements said person would be eligible for legal residency.
The bill was first introduced in 2001 and was recently voted against in the Senate in October 2007 with a vote of 52-44. A majority vote of 60 is required to pass the bill. Incidentally, President Obama did vote “yay” for the bill’s passing.
Each year about 65,000 illegal students graduate from U.S. high schools. What’s to become of all of them after? Living in the U.S. is all that many of these kids know. Can you imagine what it must feel like to be moved to a strange country as a child, when you don’t speak the language and don’t fit in from the moment you step foot on the soil? Probably not. Can you imagine then working hard to assimilate, becoming a part of that country’s society, dedicating yourself to an education to better your life and then having the door of opportunity slammed in your face just when that life is supposed to begin? Hmm…not so much.
There are an estimated 360,000 high school graduates who are eligible at this time to participate in the benefits offered from the DREAM Act and an estimated 715,000 that will qualify if they graduate from high school. These young people are not going to just up and leave the country after graduation so what benefit is it to America to keep an entire class of people living in poverty deliberately?
When we deny 65,000 people a year the potential for an education and better economic standing we are losing out on a significant number of tax payers and drastically increasing our country’s welfare bill. Multiple studies show that lack of education and low income lead to an increased use of social services and an increase in criminal activity.
A RAND study determined education to be the most important factor in providing the “skills and knowledge needed by the nation’s economy.” RAND also determined that a Mexican woman who has a college education will contribute $5,300 more in taxes and use $3,900 less in criminal justice and welfare expenses each year than one without. She will also earn $13,500 more a year. While the DREAM Act will benefit all illegal immigrants, Latinos are the most prevalent in this group as a whole. The Manhattan Institute says that by 2050 Latinos will make up 46 percent of the nation’s population.
Denying those who want to further their education and become active members of American society goes against the foundation that this country was built on. Let’s give motivated, hardworking people a chance to flourish and stop punishing half of our population for the “sins” of their fathers. Break the cycle and embrace these young people because they are not going to disappear. Instead of ignoring the “problem” let’s take steps to find a solution and turn in it in to a benefit.