Don’t Give Up on the DREAM Act

As I mentioned last week (April 3), students and advocacy groups are not giving up on the DREAM Act. Here are some additional thoughts.

DREAM On

“Here’s a little something about me. I was born in Zacatecas Mexico. My parents brought me to the US illegally when I was 6 months old. Learned to walk and talk here in the US. Never even stepped on Mexican soil. I’m about a year and a half out of High School. Graduated. Have no where else to go. I’m working a wack 9 to 5 right now. Making just over the minimum wage. Recently I’ve been doing research on the Marines. But I don’t think I can join because I’m not a citizen.

“Does anybody in here know anything about the military? I thought we could join and become citizens. But I’ve been reading and, if I’m not mistaken, it turns out you have to be a legal resident.(?)

“I don’t know…I just want the same opportunities my friends have. Everybody I know from high school is either in college or in the military now. And i’m stuck here, because I don’t have some document that says I’m not a US citizen.”

    – Luis from E. St. Louis

“here is the story of a girl.
here is my story..
my parents moved me and my brother from
mexico to the US in 1989.
i was seven months old. and i didnt know any different.
i have been here since then..i graduated high school in 2006.
tried going to college..i didnt get much help so i had to stop going.
i have been trying to figure out a way to adjust my status
without having to leave the country.
i dont work because i have no ssn or work permit or anything(like an id)
i do have a fiance but we’re not ready to get married.
which he is a US citizen..so hopefully then it will work out.
but i need to be able to find a job since i live with him..and
we cant make on his income..
i would love to see who could help me
thank you in advance.”

    -Maricela

Typically, they are the children of undocumented immigrants from Mexico. Some are from other countries—even from Europe and Asia. They all pretty much came when they were infants or toddlers. I visit the Dream Act Portal every once and awhile to hear their voices; to see what new voices and stories are added; to remind myself to be outraged that Congress continues to mired down, going nowhere, accomplishing nothing progressive to address the plight of the undocumented. Okay, so I don’t really need to hear these student voices to be outraged at Congress over immigration policies, but listening to their voices is an important reminder to not give up, to keep up the pressure, to continue to have hope that something good can happen.

These are the voices of students who would benefit from the DREAM Act.–federal legislation that would grant legal status to undocumented high school graduates under fairly strict conditions. Those who entered the United States five years prior to the passage of the legislature and were under the age of 16 at the time of entry are eligible for a six-year conditional residency status upon completion of community college or two years of military service. If the person has a clean criminal record, at the end of the six years, U.S. citizenship can be granted.

“Approximately 2.8 million students will graduate from United States High Schools this year. Some of them will go on to college, join the military, or take another path in life, eventually becoming active members of society, all equally American. However, in this sea of individuals, a group of approximately 60,000 will not have this opportunity, not because they lack motivation, but because of the status passed on to them by their parents. These often highly achieved individuals cannot attend college, enlist in the armed forces, or otherwise live a full life. Children that grew up on American soil, respect the laws of this country, and want nothing more than to be recognized for what they are, Americans, bear an inherited title of an ‘illegal immigrant’.”

    -National Immigration Law Center

In a sense, passing the DREAM Act should be a piece of cake. Congress would be tossing us a bone. Pass this, and Congress could claim that it’s at least done something progressive (even though the vast majority of undocumenteds would remain out in the cold). But the failure to even pass the DREAM Act demonstrates just how effective the scape-goaters, the hate-mongers, the Tom Tancredo’s, the Lou Dobb’s have been in their demonization of immigrants. My gosh, for a politician, appearing soft on immigration is like being soft on crime these days.

Even though the latest iteration of the DREAM Act had a couple dozen co-sponsors, the legislation died this past October. A bipartisan 52-44 majority of the Senate voted in favor of permitting debate on the DREAM Act, but under Senate rules, 60 votes were needed (hey, it was worth paying attention in eighth grade civics class when we learned about filibusters and cloture votes in the Senate). So the DREAM Act could not proceed. We are told that apparently the vote was closer than it looked.  The four Senators who missed the vote were DREAM Act supporters, and a few others claim they would have voted yes if their votes would have made the difference.  It didn’t help, of course, that President Bush hit the airwaves in opposition to the DREAM Act just minutes before the vote.

Passing the DREAM Act is consistent with the sentiment that the Supreme Court expressed a quarter century ago in Plyler v. Doe in striking down Texas’ attempt to deprive undocumented students of K-12 education:

“[Denying public school education] raises the specter of a permanent caste of undocumented resident aliens, encouraged by some to remain here as a source of cheap labor, but nevertheless denied the benefits that our society makes available to citizens and lawful residents. The existence of such an underclass presents most difficult problems for a Nation that prides itself inn adherence to principles of equality under the law. . . . [This law] imposes a lifetime hardship on a discrete class of children not accountable for their disabling status. [In] determining the rationality of [this law], we may appropriately take into account its costs to the Nation and to the innocent children who are its victims.”

    -U.S. Supreme Court, Plyler v. Doe (1982), striking down a Texas law depriving undocumented students     of K-12 education

On its surface, the DREAM Act is about legalizing young adults, but at its core, the DREAM Act is about providing an avenue for them to fulfill their hopes and, yes, dreams. Although some states such as California allow undocumented high school graduates to enter state colleges at in-state tuition rates, most states don’t have such provisions. And even in California where they might be admitted, undocumented college students are not eligible for scholarships and grants available to other residents. So undergraduate education and certainly graduate school is out of reach for most undocumented students from low-wage or working class families.

“I am a 21 year old immigrant from the poorest slums of Morelia Michoacan Mexico. My father was a civil engineer and my mother a school teacher yet we were barely making enough to eat. My father, like any other rationale human on the face of this planet, decided that this was no way to raise a child. . . . I arrived here legally (tourist visa) with my parents at the age of 1 in search of a better life . . . we have overstayed and are undocumented.

“I am currently a Junior majoring in chemistry at A&M University. . . . I have a 3.9 gpa . . . I volunteer at the ER at the local hospital. . . . I will not be able to attend any state medical schools without being a legal citizen or permanent resident. . . My only option is to apply to a private medical school, as an international student. However, after doing my research I have found that I would have to pay close to $200,000 in order to attend 4 years. . .  The spots for international students are limited and highly competitve, many schools accept only 1 or 2 per year. If I manage to get into medical school as an illegal this will be a huge . . .

“However, I still fear that my dreams will die at the undergraduate level if I am not accepted into a private school. I cannot possibly let my dream die here, I would have to go somewhere else. If the DREAM Act is passed I would surely get accepted into any medical school in the state of Texas. I believe I have demonstrated that I have the capacity to be a contributing member to this country. Why do people insist that I do not deserve to be here? Why does the government insist on turning away potential contributors to society? Of what purpose does it serve for them to invest in our education at the k-12 level if they want to bar us from higher education?

“…It seems that I have everything that a medical school could ever possibly want in a candidate…yet I cannot meet that ultimately critically important one…a social security number.”

    -A troubled soul

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