A controversial act has been proposed by the House of Representatives this spring. This piece of legislation, known as the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM Act), would allow illegal immigrants who have lived in the country to attend college, or serve the military and get one step closer to becoming U.S. citizens.
This act requires that any beneficiaries of the DREAM Act would have proof of the following: arriving in the U.S. before age 16, residing in the U.S. for at least five consecutive years, be between the ages of 12 and 35, be of good moral character, and have graduated from high school or obtained a GED.
Proponents of this bill say that it will allow the children who have been brought into the country illegally to become U.S. citizens and be beneficial participants of the economy, government, and society of our country.
This act would allow that any illegal immigrant that meets the aforementioned criteria would be granted a six-year temporary residence status. In those six years the immigrant must complete one of the following: graduation from a two-year community college, complete at least two years towards a four-year degree, or serve two years in the U.S. military. If one of these requirements are met, the DREAM Act says that immigrant would be eligible to apply for permanent resident status.
This is a hot topic amongst college students. It raises several issues and concerns. The current form of this act allows immigrants to apply for student loans and work study, but not federal grants such as Pell grants.
While this is good, other students, already citizens of the U.S. are competing with one another for work study. Most work study programs are federally funded, meaning the money comes from tax payers. Aliens don’t pay taxes, therefore it is our hope that the legislature is changed to make sure the immigrants aren’t getting money that natural U.S. citizens are supplying.The editorial board thinks that the DREAM Act is a good idea in theory but must be reformed before it can truly be effective. The concerns above are just one example.
Another concern is in regards to in-state and out of state tuition. In state tuition is set up for residents of that state to pay a lower price because, as residents of that state, they have been paying taxes and therefore helping fund that state’s higher education institutions. Again, aliens don’t pay taxes, and therefore, even if they can prove that they are residents of a certain state, they should have to pay the higher out of state tuition.
Congress needs to make a decision on this issue. Nearly 65,000 illegal immigrant students graduate from U.S. high school every year. It’s time for congress to do something about this issue and make a decision one way or another. Congress needs to stop oogling over the massive budgetary problems our country faces and make a decision regarding this prominent issue about illegal immigrant minors.