I needed a break from studying for my Immigration final, and I thought I'd share this short video from www.borderstories.org that we discussed in class. Jose's mom brought him to the US from Mexico when he was 2. His sisters (who were born in the US) are citizens, and Jose thought he was, too, until he was deported back to Mexico shortly after he turned 18.
The DREAM Act, sponsored by Senator Orrin Hatch in 2003, would grant conditional Legal Permanent Resident status to an undocumented immigrant who: (a) entered the US before the age of 16 and at least 5 years before the passage of this Act, (b) is a person of good moral character, (c) has not committed any crimes that would make him inadmissible to the US, and (d) has received or is completing a high school diploma. The condition would be removed in 6 years if that person has maintained good moral character and has earned or is working on a bachelor's degree at a US institution of higher education or has served 2 years in the US armed forces. Do you think we should let children like Jose Rivera become legal permanent residents? Would you support the DREAM Act? I'm interested in hearing your thoughts.
5 comments:
I would support it. However, I do always like to look into acts of congress a little more and think about possible negative ramifications that may not be considered upon first hearing. Being from southern Arizona, though, immigration is always a very hot topic. It is so difficult in my opinion because I believe both sides of the immigration issue have very strong points. I feel that children like Jose could benefit from the DREAM Act because they would be given privileges that would enable them to become good members of society, instead of dooming them to an underprivileged life because they are unlawfully residing in the US.
DIANA! First off, I did not know you had a blog, but I am now excited to stay updated on it. Thank you for helping me be more politically aware with this post. I would definitely support the DREAM Act in the case of Jose. However, on a whole I think the DREAM Act should look at things like their school efforts and their criminal record if there is one. Maybe it already does, but I think if they are making real efforts to be a part of the American society and are contributing positively by educating themselves and staying out of trouble they should have opportunities opened to them.
wow! I love the thinking posts! :) Honestly it's a hard thing as I feel like kids before 16 don't have much control over their situation and if their parents sneak them over what are we to do. I like the phrasing of the DREAM act which seems to encourage good citizenship within the U.S. if they intend on remaining here. Now I have the flip side of the whole issue...why should they be able to stay here just because they were close enough the sneak across the border? There are so many people in Russia, Africa and Southeastern Asia that dream of one day making it to America and escaping the tyranny that dominates their lives. Unfortunately there are limited "American slots" and many of them are filled by people who do it the illegal way. I'm all for allowing people to come here and have a second chance, but not rewarded for illegal acts. That being said...the child thing is tricky for me, can they be held accountable?
Well if they're here "illegally" then they wouldn't really be taking up any legal "slots." From what Diana wrote, these people aren't being granted citizenship, only permanent legal status. In theory this shouldn't interfere with any of the other numbers the U.S. maintains on immigration quotas each year. I would support it but hesitate about how to legally define "good moral character" it sounds nice, but will it end up being an arbitrary decision by someone as to who is moral and who is not? It's also a challenge to attach permanent residency to college graduation since undocumented people aren't allowed in-state tuition, and because most undocumented people are low on the wage scale, it can be next to impossible to afford a college education. It's sort of a catch 22. It's not that people don't want to go to college, but the law makes it very difficult for most undocumented people to do that. As a result this could be an act that sounds really benevolent, but fails to produce tangible results. But then, you know how I feel about immigration issues Diana... :) Thanks for this update- I might share it with my kiddos at school and see what they think about it!
Thanks for your thoughts, ladies! You brought up a few things I hadn't thought about. I'm going to do a little more research and post again with more information.
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