For those of you who aren't aware, there is this incredibly clever titled piece of legislature floating around in Congress. Its name? The D.R.E.A.M Act-- and its more than just a clever title and a play on words. What does it propose? Long story short, any illegal immigrant who is attending or planning on attending some form of higher education can be eligible for citizenship. Of course there are more requirements, but that's basically the gist of it.
The motivation behind the bill? Illegal immigrants who are on the path to contribute to society are running into a dead end either when it comes to paying for college (illegal immigrants cant apply for financial aid) or when it comes to finding a job after graduating college. So what ends up happening to them? They end up doing the same low-income (which is an understatement) job that their parents or relatives are doing. Its the stereotypical "Mexican Job".....cleaning, gardening, etc.
So what does it matter to us? Well without further ado: 3 Reasons why immigrants deserve DREAMs too.
1) Value of education: This by far isn't the strongest reason, however it is one that should be noted. Passing the DREAM Act will give illegal residents a goal to strive for. In short, more illegal residents will see the value of education and seek a more successful future. This means fewer illegal immigrants on the streets and more of them in college. Also, with budget cuts to education, some reinforcement on the value of education to America’s general population won’t hurt.
2) The right, er, middle way thinking: Lets face it, extremists on the left
do not have the solution to immigration. No, completely opening up the borders is not
right, its left, and is wrong. But before those of you way on the right say "Aha!"... well, you may be on the right, but your still wrong. Directional puns aside, while extremists on both sides either call for a completely open or closed border, many acknowledge that a middle of the road approach to immigration is the best decision.The DREAM Act is not the best solution for the immigration problem, but it is certainly a step in the right direction. The DREAM Act allows illegal immigrants a chance to achieve permanent residency while avoiding the negative effects associated with an open border policy.
The reason is because the DREAM Act is selective in who it grants permanent residence status to. Under the act, only undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States as minors and graduated from an American high school are eligible for permanent resident status if they earn a two-year college degree or serve in the military for two years. These permanent residents are accepted based on their ability to contribute to society rather than their family ties. Which brings me to the last and most important reason
3) Economy: Immigrants that apply for citizenship through the DREAM Act are prime candidates for high-income jobs. I was talking to my incredibly ignorant friend who happens to be a republican about this issue. When I told him that the DREAM Act will give immigrants a real chance at high income jobs he replied sarcastically, I hope " Great! So now we will Mexicans not only stealing the low income jobs, but they will be stealing the high income ones too." So for those ignorant republicans who are saying the same thing to yourself, here is why that type of thinking is not correct.
First off, not all immigrants are Mexican. There are over a hundred countries in the world, and all of them have citizens who immigrate to America. Look at a map.
Secondly, they are not stealing your jobs, if anything they are helping create new ones by stimulating the economy. We do not have a zero-sum market. Meaning, the job market is not finite. If the economy is strong, more people invest in job creating businesses which in turn creates more jobs. Its no coincidence that when the economy is poor unemployment rates skyrocket from lay-offs. So how can the DREAM Act help?
Immigrants with high income jobs will generate enough capital to spend and invest in the market freely, which will ultimately help stimulate the economy--its Economics 101. Its a complete turn around from what the current situation illegal immigrants provide for communities in the states.
As of now, these students don’t pay taxes, cannot receive a job or a steady income and thus ultimately becoming a strain on society. In short the question becomes: If they are already living in America, why not let them contribute to society, pay taxes and stimulate the economy and the housing market?
Its win-win situation.
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