Senate Filibuster Kills the DREAM Act!
Its been two weeks now. The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act - more popularly known as the DREAM Act was blocked by the Senate. The aim of the DREAM Act is to enable young illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children to apply for US citizenship after they have completed two years of college/military service. They also need to meet other requirements, including being subjected to and passing a background check.
This Act, if passed, would have benefitted a large part of the illegal immigrant population that came to America as minors. Now, they are being punished for the mistakes of their parents.
For these young people, America is the only country they know and identify themselves with. Enabling them to join the mainstream American life, having them get an education and jobs, and paying back to the government in the form of taxes and social security payments would help the economy in the long run. Its the short sightedness of the opposers of this Act that has to be condemned. Not only would benefits to the Treasury be lost, all that has been spent on this category so far would turn out to be a useless investment since these people who have high school education (even some college education in some cases) will now be asked to leave the country.
People opposing this Act need to realize that this is a method to bring about a million educated youngsters into the mainstream economy. This does not grant amnesty to all undocumented immigrants. Handling the undocumented immigrants is a different issue not to be confused with the DREAM Act which is trying to help those children who were brought into the country when they were hardly old enough to know what was happening. And many have been kept ignorant of the knowledge of their undocumented status until they have had to apply to colleges.
Its been two weeks now. The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act - more popularly known as the DREAM Act was blocked by the Senate. The aim of the DREAM Act is to enable young illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children to apply for US citizenship after they have completed two years of college/military service. They also need to meet other requirements, including being subjected to and passing a background check.
This Act, if passed, would have benefitted a large part of the illegal immigrant population that came to America as minors. Now, they are being punished for the mistakes of their parents.
For these young people, America is the only country they know and identify themselves with. Enabling them to join the mainstream American life, having them get an education and jobs, and paying back to the government in the form of taxes and social security payments would help the economy in the long run. Its the short sightedness of the opposers of this Act that has to be condemned. Not only would benefits to the Treasury be lost, all that has been spent on this category so far would turn out to be a useless investment since these people who have high school education (even some college education in some cases) will now be asked to leave the country.
People opposing this Act need to realize that this is a method to bring about a million educated youngsters into the mainstream economy. This does not grant amnesty to all undocumented immigrants. Handling the undocumented immigrants is a different issue not to be confused with the DREAM Act which is trying to help those children who were brought into the country when they were hardly old enough to know what was happening. And many have been kept ignorant of the knowledge of their undocumented status until they have had to apply to colleges.
“It is not only the right thing to do for talented young people who seek to serve a country they know as their own, it is the right thing for the United States of America,” Mr. Obama said. “Our nation is enriched by their talents and would benefit from the success of their efforts.”Read more here.
This post first appeared on US Immigration And Citizenship Services, please read the originial post: here
