Photo Illustration by Michael Uribes / The Collegian
The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM) Act, is currently attached to the Immigration Reform bill. If passed, it will give thousands of illegal immigrants two options””join the military or go to school.
Once you have completed two years of either, the United States may change your legal status to legal residency.
To qualify, students must be between the “ages of 12 to 35 when the law is enacted.” Applicants must have arrived in the United States before they reach the age of 16 and live in the United States for five or more years consecutively. They must also have a U.S. high school diploma or General Education Diploma and have “good moral character.”
The bill if passed as it is written, will not guarantee legalization of all students who meet the requirements. For those who qualify for the DREAM Act will receive a “Conditional Permanent Resident Status” for six years. After the six years they might receive their legal residency.
If during these six years the “alien,” as the bill states, becomes of a “public charge,” or “received a dishonorable or other than honorable discharge” from the military, they will lose their Conditional Permanent Resident Status and will likely be deported. This applies even if they become veterans of the Iraq or Afghanistan war, or if they have a degree.
Many U.S. soldiers have returned home with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or other mental problems; they have returned without body parts and according to icasualties.org 4,734 in Iraq and 2,061 in Afghanistan have lost their lives. If soldiers under the DREAM Act are injured physically or mentally and they commit a “public charge”, they will be deported.
If the student chooses to go to college to meet the two year or more requirements to be eligible for the DREAM Act, the student cannot receive government aid to help them complete school. They will be eligible for work-study and private loans only. Even if the student has a spouse and kids or has limited means, no financial aid will be provided by the government.
Currently the DREAM Act is attached to a much larger Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill. The bill would give legal residency not only to students, but working families as well. Many politicians, however, believe that the DREAM Act should pass independently to have a greater opportunity of bipartisan support.
“I think right now the fear and everything is strictly tied to the election this November,” said Rodney Anderson, an instructor in the political science department. Anderson said for this reason, politicians are discussing the Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill.
“Dreamers are not here alone, they have brothers, sisters, parents that can’t be left in the shadows anymore,” said Adriana Sanchez, a senior at Fresno State, referring to the millions of families that are not acknowledged by the U.S. government because of their legal status.
“They could at least give us the DREAM Act; this is our only hope,” said Juan Santiago, a Madera Community College student and group advisor of Central Valley Youth Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform in Madera who will be benefited by the DREAM Act.
“When baby boomers retire, there are going to be a lot of job opportunities. We will fill them, so they will benefit from our taxes.” DREAM students would supply the demand of workers that this country needs,” Sanchez said about the benefit students will bring to the U.S. economy.
“The U.S. has been hypocritical when it comes to immigration,” said Michael Becker, instructor from the political science department. “They tend to turn the blind eye when the economy is booming, and as soon as the economy gets bad, immigrants become the scapegoats,” stressing why illegal immigration is such an important issue for many politicians.
“If they give us this opportunity,” said Juan Santiago, “the United States would be sending the message that the American dream is still reachable here.”
cali_girl • Jan 26, 2011 at 4:36 pm
Personally, I feel that while Anna Mendoza is a great reporter, she clearly shows her bias which I felt would be more appropriate under the “Opinion” section instead of “News” section.
canlı maç izle • Jan 26, 2011 at 10:17 am
I thought same this “I hardly think that the illegal population with its 50% illegimate rate of birth and its 50% dropout rate from high school will be the saviour of the US when the baby boomers retire. “
the defender • Sep 20, 2010 at 5:49 am
The Dream Act is a great law but I think it should be targeted to a different set of immigrants.The Dream Act is supposed to be for students. If the U.S. Gov’t want to fix their illegal immigrants situation then they should do an amnesty like they did in 1986.
I believe that these act should be for the people that enter the country LEGALLY and for any reason they are out of status but, don’t have a deportation order. for example: A family came here in 2000, they applied for a working visa (H1) or an investor visa (L1) and and maintained that status for 4 years, for whatever reason they could’t continue in that status and they lost their “H1,L1” status . Another case would be that a family came here, applied for the “L1” visa, got the visa, the kids went to high school, graduated High school, went to college, in some point of their lives the kids turned 21 and they couldn’t stay in the “L” status so they decided to get a student visa (F1). Doing this the Gov’t would be helping the people that for some technicality that are currently out of status.
This Act is so applicants can obtain a residency for six years prior to obtaining a citizenship. during those six years they will not be a hassle because they wouldn’t qualify for Gov’t grants or any kind of Gov’t help. maybe during the period that they are at school they could be charge as an out of state student that way the citizens can take advantage of this situation.
I think if the Act focuses on those people the number of immigrants would descent from 2 mil. to maybe 500,000 and the Gov’t would be helping the immigrants that did the things right and the Act would be helping those people pursue their dreams because at the end of the day all these people want is to become an American in paper because I bet they already feel an American in their hearts.
John V. • Sep 11, 2010 at 7:37 am
My friend wrote his story on a blog called Dream Act for Dummies or Republicans on Blogger. It’s a really touching story that will show you the hardships that these young people have to face.
dreamacts.blogspot com
I think you should read it for it explains misconceptions like the one you have about a resident making their parents legal. That is not going to happen.
michael • Sep 9, 2010 at 5:46 am
Punishing the kids who qualify for the DREAM act is like sentencing a child to jail for a crime his mother did WHEN SHE WAS PREGNANT WITH HIM. The subject child had NO choice regarding his mother’s decisions to commit said crime. Similar to fetuses having no choice about his mother’s decisions, kids under 16 really DO NOT understand the concept of immigration and the proper way to do it. Shoot, some kids under 16 probably can’t even spell “immigration”.
I, myself, am against a pathway for citizenship for illegal immigrants UNLESS they qualify for the DREAM act. Support the DREAM ACT!! God Bless.
Iiout1963 • Sep 6, 2010 at 3:01 am
I hardly think that the illegal population with its 50% illegimate rate of birth and its 50% dropout rate from high school will be the saviour of the US when the baby boomers retire.
dave gorak read this • Sep 5, 2010 at 6:59 am
Dave Gorak
you sound like an ignorant redneck. think about what you just said 7 million illegals have steady jobs 30 million lazy asses sit at home. now think about it how did 7 million people with no documents manage to get a job? i guess its really not that hard to get a job once you have needs and have to support a family instead of getting handouts from these “illegals” who pay taxes too just like you and i. so really who’s the victim here?
Anonymous • Sep 4, 2010 at 2:51 pm
Americans are a generous people, but we learned with the 1986 legalization not to believe our government’s promises. Any amnesty/legalization program that is numerically open-ended is a non-starter. Any amnesty program that starts before the government can prove through results that they can drastically reduce the total number of illegal aliens here through either deportation or self-deportation is a non-starter. Current estimates of the generous Dream Act are that it would legalize about 2 million illegal aliens. Plus these people would in turn petition for parents, spouses and siblings.
Implement mandatory, permanent, E-Verify for all employers, to check all jobs in the US, existing and future hires.
Onemorecup • Sep 8, 2010 at 12:29 am
Ninesixteen I love your article! Why? Because you sift through the smoke and mirrors with effortless ease. Moreover, your words — rhetoric — are well-chosen and make sense. Any aspirations for office? Cheers!
Wisdom from your MOM • Sep 4, 2010 at 3:05 am
your dumb. do you have any idea how hard it is to make parents legal, even if the child is a citizen? it takes YEARS, plus the child must be able to support both of them financially etc etc. maybe if we had a reasonable immigration system and it didnt take 15 years to come here to work on a farm, we wouldnt have problems with illegals. But no need to take it out on people who we invested in for 12 years and get your passport stamped to hell for it. they want to CONTRIBUTE….by paying TAXES…which they ARENT doing right now because WE arent letting them. lets face it…they are going to stay, and have babies at our expense..and etc etc :)…do you get the point executive dumb F?
Onemorecup • Sep 7, 2010 at 11:15 pm
It is very, very important to remember that one of the biggest reasons for why the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) has become the defunct entity it is — is a direct result of the inconsideration of illegal aliens. Folks with the greatest of respect to most of you, this entire matter is a ‘redo’ of earlier politician’s messes. Approximately 4 million illegals were granted amnesty in 1986; in less that two decades this nation is sporting roughly 11.8 million illegal aliens.
Please above everything else, please stop the excuse making and personal appeals about this mess. Please stop with the “came as children” routine because to a rational person it just reeks of blaming the other person. Please stop with the racial profiling. That was a concoction of the Obama Administration spin machine that took hold because people could enunciate it. Please stop with the blame games you continue to play. Goodness this article starts out with the notion of “school or the military”? I don’t believe for an instant that this is unreasonable and if you do, why? Every male in this country must register with the Selective Service, to allow Congress if they’re draft ready. So when I see anyone gripping about military service being attached to the DREAM Act, it is insulting; moreover, it tends to place people into the Equal Protection Clause of the XIV Amendment.
Finally as I have written so many times before: There is an arrogance and machismo about the mind set of illegal alien’s that certainly wasn’t there 20 years ago. Taking to the streets in lieu of protesting….what? That you broke the law and now you want government entitlements, continue on with education, and not give anything back to a country who didn’t have a say in your plight anyway? Get real.
nashielly • Sep 4, 2010 at 3:02 am
i hope this bill can pass soo that one day wen all these students become great citizens such as ur self they can support u through your old age through their taxes.. dont forget, that way back into your history your great granmother or great granfather were giving a chance to immigrate and participated into making this great country for what it is today. So stop acting like history cant repeat it self and stop trying to blame the war on illegals. People like you are the type of peolple that cant accept their own mistakes and find weaker people to pray on. But one day all these people will have a VOICE and will be able to defend themselves.
agustin • Sep 4, 2010 at 2:32 am
if i were to reply to all those ignorants who only watch news and listen to useless ignorant politicians who only talk to re elected the following years it would be and appauling situations its ok the gaffe this individuals is common everywehre.
agustin • Sep 4, 2010 at 2:30 am
FIRST OF ALL MEXICO WOULD HAVE A NICE DECENT ECONOMY IF THE UNITED STATES WOULDN’T LEGALIZE THOSE SMART INTELLECTUALS WHO HAVE THAT POTENTIAL TO GO FAR AND BEYONG THEIR GOALS AND ACQUIARE HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE. SECOND OF MEXICO IS A SCREWED UP PLACE BECAUSE SUCH ********* DEALS MADE BY THE IMF WITH FREE TRADE ORGANIZION SCREWING UP PERU, NICARAGUA AND OTHER CONTINENTS NOT ONLY COUNTRIES BUT CONTINENT SUCH AS JAMAICA, AFRICA AND VARIOUS OTHER SO HOW DO YOU EXPECT A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY TO ESCAPE THE HELLHOLE IF THE DEVIL (UNITED STATES) WAS THE ONE WHO PUT THEM IN THEIR THE FIRST PLACE????
**This post was edited by the webmaster to remove profanity. Please refrain from using profanity in your posts. I also suggest taking off caps lock. –Webmaster
Dfasfd • Sep 4, 2010 at 1:54 am
Of those 30 million of our native born most don’t have jobs because they are not willing to be out working for minimum wage in construction, or agriculture, they prefer to get that nice unemployment check and sit home doing nothing. Immigrants don’t take jobs from us they do jobs most of us are too lazy to do.
Little • Sep 4, 2010 at 12:31 am
To Adriana Sanchez who said ““Dreamers are not here alone, they have brothers, sisters, parents that can’t be left in the shadows anymore,””, what part of “illegal” don’t you understand, Adriana?
People who broke the law should not be rewarded, period. The fact that someone is poor does not excuse their breaking the law.
Moreover, immigration of unskilled people makes things much tougher for native-born US citizens who need jobs. Wages in the meatpacking industry have been halved by greedy employers who are pleased to hire and exploit illegals.
Results in many states show attrition is working: slowly tighten the screws on employers, and illegal immigrants will continue to drift back across the border to their own country. Mexico needs more hardworking ambitious people, btw–few of them have the kind of high tech skills that our economy needs more of, but they have exactly the kind of skills that can turn Mexico from a third world hellhole into a decent country on the rise.
Danielarosas10 • Sep 4, 2010 at 8:06 am
These students where kids “little”. They had NO opinion to their parents actions. They where raised here and feel that America is their home. All they want to do is Study. Not like the other kids who where born here and could care LESS about their education.
Dont you want dedicated students and graduates to represent this great Nation?
Stop judging them on something they completely had NO fault of.
Or is this all just a race kid? Because I’ll let you know that NOT ALL DREAMERS are Mexican. Asians and Pacific Islanders share the same problem.
Don’t be so ignorant.
If you met these kids, like i did, you’d know how beautiful and talented they are. They deserve a chance to prove themselves. And when you think about the DREAM act, dont think about their parents who had done the “crime”, think about the kids who had no fault of it; because this is for them, no one else.
Latina • Sep 10, 2010 at 6:11 pm
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…. you’re breaking my heart. But the fact of the matter is that in almost all 50 states parents are responsible for their children until the age of 18. The fact that these illegal alien border-hoppers brought their kids here at a young age does NOT relieve them of their responsibilities to their kids. Coming her illegally was THE choice they made for themselves AND their kids. It is NOT the duty or responsibility or the US government or its citizens to make it right by granting “amnesty via the Dream Act” which, in essense, rewards these illegal aliens for their illegal actions, regardless of HOW long they’ve been able to hide out in the US. Illegal alien students need to blame their border-hopping illegal parents and NO ONE else for their predicament, period! If they are of age, then they know full well we have and Immigration process & policies they can apply for properly if they are THAT desirous of becoming a US citizen. Nobody owes them a damn thing and they need to go to the back of the immigration behind thousands who are already in process of becoming citizens the “right” way.
Onemorecup • Sep 8, 2010 at 12:26 am
Very, very well articulated; and what you’ve espoused is true. As for me I earnestly believe that there should ever be a reward for breaking the law — and our Congress needs to hear this! Very nice!
Executive Director..lol • Sep 4, 2010 at 12:19 am
lol
…those 30 million that don’t have a job or are less educated because they chose that kind of life or just because they Fck up in life and dont take adavantage of the opportunities this country have to offer. Those 7 millions illegals that are working are actually trying to have a life and raise their families, they don’t care where they work or in what conditions as long as they find away to provide food and house to their families they are happy.
30 millions of europe immigrants which means white people NOT NATIVE …are either homeless, drug dealers, criminals or live out goverment’s money well our taxes.
About those veterans that don’t have a job when they get back its government fault ……not illegals.
This Dream Act is about undocumented students that were brought to this country by parents at early age, its not their fault. They actually doing something for this country in getting an education and contribute with their service and knowledge not like 30 milliong of lazy and negative people.
Latina • Sep 10, 2010 at 5:59 pm
Why should the American government “reward” your illegal border-hopping parents by giving illegal aliens students a “free amnesty” pass at citizenship. If you are to be pissed at anyone, the fault lies 100% with your border-hopping parents and it’s NOT our government’s responsibility OR duty to make right on their illegal actions regardless of WHO is affected by it.
`Mc Caunt • Sep 3, 2010 at 9:48 pm
Mr Dave,
you are a idiote.
try some thing for to do, get out this chair, make something util for our country.
please remmember J.F Kennedy.
Dave Gorak • Sep 3, 2010 at 7:37 pm
If you are sincerely concerned about veterans, you would be demanding that those coming home have jobs waiting for them. You also should be very angry knowing that 7 million illegals have steady jobs in the construction, manufacturing, transportation and service industries while there are 30 million of our native-born, according to the Center for Immigration Studies, who are less educated and unable to find full-time work. Where is their DREAMS? Aren’t they also entitled to search for a better life?
The DREAM Act, by the way, is not just about “the kids.” Once the students reach legal age, they would be able to sponsor their parents for legalization. Further, as written, there is no provision in this bill providing for verification of the information submitted by applicants to the program. It’s a bill that would invite even more fraud and abuse of an immigration policy that should instead be emphasizing sharp reductions in the number of people permitted to come here AND strict enforcement of our immigration laws.
Dave Gorak
Executive director
Midwest Coalition to Reduce Immigration
La Valle, WI
Danielarosas10 • Sep 4, 2010 at 8:10 am
Its not the illegal “aliens” fault that “native” born people dont have enough motivation to get off their butts and get a higher education. We ALL have a common interest, the BEST for America. Don’t you think that we need more motivated young people (regardless of their situation) in this country to take up important jobs? Such as educated doctors, lawyers, etc. If you read the bill with a better focus you will find that this is an EARNED amnesty. These students are working hard to become residents, not citizens. I agree that the immigration laws need to toughen up and the border needs to be secure but these young students have been here since they were kids, even toddlers. This might not be their “native” home but in their souls it is. Remember that the DREAM act isn’t about the adults that committed the crime, it’s about the children that had no fault and who are simply trying to succeed and most importantly to survive.
Or…., what is that scares you the most? That native born americans are falling behind? That other people with less fortunate situations work twice as hard and will most likely be three times more successful?
Reality check: Illegal students feel like Americans. They only want to contribute and share their talent with this country. They are not here to become “better” than anyone else. They just want to feel part of society and have a secure future. Is that too much to ask for?
Captain America • Sep 6, 2010 at 7:23 pm
Alright Mr. Gorak, you speak of the “dreams” of the 30 million unemployed people in this country, well the fact of the matter is that they are without work because they choose to be. As you said they are less educated, meaning most of them are high school drop outs, but they refuse to do any real manual labor work. People in this country believe that even if they posses no real talent that they still deserve to make 100k a year, which is fine but somebody still needs to pick potatoes and watermelons in 110 degree weather. To a common village idiot as yourself the answer is easy: “deport those illegals!” and “they took our jobs!” but if the solution was that simple don’t you think the government would have already done it? certainly they have the resources available to do it. The government knows as well as you know that this country has always relied on immigrants to do the most degrading and back breaking jobs. Now I know what you are going to say next: “well they should come here legally”. Don’t you think that people would love to just hop on a plane to get here rather than risking their lives walking thru the dessert for days? Do you think that they are here illegally by choice? Most illegal immigrants pay anywhere from $5000 to $10,000 to cross the border, and trust me it is not a walk in the park buddy. Our current immigration system is broken because only the wealthy can afford and are allowed to obtain visas to come here legally; leaving the poor, who are the ones who actually want and need to come here to work, with no other alternative but to cross the border illegally. There are just so many things that are pathetically wrong with your comment that I don’t even know where to start. But to answer your question:
Q. “Where is their DREAMS? Aren’t they also entitled to search for a better life?”
A. I DARE you to ask any of the 30 million unemployed if the road to their dreams starts in a potato field in eastern Idaho.
Briana • Sep 7, 2010 at 4:54 pm
you may not know this, but immigration law as it stands right now does NOT permit ANYONE (spouse, brother, sister, mother, father, cousin, 2nd cousin, you get the point) to gain ANY legal status if they cannot prove that they did not enter this country through inspection. Through inspection means that a border patrol agent or airport, sea, however you came, had to have seen your passport, visa and deemed that you were legally permitted to enter the U.S. If an immigrant cannot prove this, they cannot gain legal status.
Therefore, when you say “when they get older these kids will be able to sponsor all their relatives”, this will not be true for most people. Anyone who came into this country illegally cannot change that status through sponsorship- even if they are married to a U.S. citizen.