Thread: Dream Act still a dream

Dream Act still a dream
Thousands keep eye on bill that opens citizenship path
Josh Dulaney, Staff Writer


Andrea Robles, a 20-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico who is struggling to pay for college because she can't get loans, is among more than a half-million illegal-immigrant youths and young adults in California who could be eligible to apply for legal status under legislation pending in Congress.
"I support it because I think that when everybody hears the word illegal, they think we're doing something wrong," said Robles, a Colton resident. "For me, when I'm going to school and working, there's nothing wrong with that."

She might find agreement from more than 2.1 million illegal immigrant youths - about 1 in 4 of whom live in California.

That's how many in the country could benefit from the federal Development,

Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, also known as the Dream Act, according to a report released by the Washington, D.C.-based Migration Policy Institute. One opponent of illegal immigration said the bill is nothing more than partial amnesty with a pretty name slapped on it.
"It's the nightmare act," said William Gheen, president of Americans for Legal Immigration Political Action Committee, based in Raleigh, N.C. "If we don't stop and reverse illegal immigration, pretty soon it's going to destroy the United States. See California. If you pass the Dream Act, America will be drinking her final vial of poison."

Under the bill, illegal immigrants under the age of 35 who came to the U.S. when they were 16 or younger, have lived here more than five years, graduated from high school and can demonstrate good moral character may apply for conditional legal status.

They would be allowed to stay in the country for six years under that status.

Students can convert their conditional status to permanent residency by graduating from a two-year college, studying at least two years toward a bachelor's degree or serving in the military at least two years.

Students receive green cards and could apply for citizenship, if the conditions of the probationary period are met.

While students such as Robles, who is looking to transfer from San Bernardino Valley College to Cal State San Bernardino, are excited about the bill's potential, the report estimates that only 38 percent - or 825,000 - of the 2.1 million potentially eligible beneficiaries likely would gain permanent legal status.

"Many potential Dream Act beneficiaries would face difficulties in meeting the legislation's higher education or military service requirements because of hardship paying for college tuition, competing work and family time demands, and low educational attainment and English proficiency," said Margie McHugh, co-director of the Migration Policy Institute's National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy.

The report also shows that access to educational opportunities for Dream Act beneficiaries could vary from state to state because of significant differences in college enrollment practices and tuition policies.

Still, illegal immigrant students remain hopeful that the bill will help them realize their dream of a college education.

Gabriela Cruz, a 16-year-old student at Arroyo Valley High School in San Bernardino who is taking advanced placement courses, said without legal status, the best she could look forward to would be community college.

She was 9 months old when her parents brought her to the country illegally.

"I really want to go to college, and that would be a perfect opportunity to go," she said. "It's really expensive, and I would never be able to afford it. With the citizenship, I would be able to get a scholarship or at least a loan. It's really frustrating."

Gheen said what frustrates him and those Americans who oppose illegal immigration, is that students such as Cruz and Robles are seeking to take degrees away from Americans.

"Those seats in college are for the sons and daughters of American citizens and legal citizens, not the families that break our laws," Gheen said. "We're telling them no, you can't have that, it's not yours. It's ours. Our families built it. We have the constitutional authority to tell you to get out."

Elected leaders who oppose the bill say it rewards those that have broken immigration laws, while placing a fiscal burden on taxpayers.

A spokesperson for Rep. Gary Miller, R-Brea, said while the U.S. is an "open and welcoming society," it cannot allow its immigration laws to be violated and ignored.

"Giving citizenship and in-state tuition to illegal immigrants is wrong and sends the message that we do not take our immigration laws seriously," said Jessica L. Parker, press secretary for Miller. Those officials who disagree with Miller say the Dream Act doesn't go far enough.

Rep. Joe Baca, D-San Bernardino, said in a statement that "it is wrong to unfairly punish those young people who come to America through no fault of their own."

Baca has introduced the People Resolved to Obtain an Understanding of Democracy, or "Proud Act," which he says would give responsible immigrant students a realistic shot at citizenship "as long as they have kept up their grades, shown an understanding of U.S. civics, and stayed out of trouble."

"The bottom line is America needs comprehensive reform to fix our broken immigration system," Baca said. "Any attempts at immigration reform must include strong border security, tough punishments for employers who break the law, and a responsible pathway to citizenship for immigrants who are here to contribute."

Robles, who works in a restaurant and said she pays taxes on her wages, said her education could've moved along faster if she had the money to pay for certain classes that she wanted.

She did receive two scholarships.

One was a $1,200 scholarship from the Inland Empire Scholarship Fund, which gives scholarships to low-income, high-achieving Latino students throughout San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

The other was a $1,000 scholarship from the Joe Baca Foundation.

Robles said she wants to major in English or Spanish and perhaps become a teacher.

"If the Dream Act passes, I can help this country," she said.

Gheen said illegal immigrants can contribute by going back to their homelands.

"We're encouraging illegal aliens who want to go to college to apply for school in Mexico," he said. "Mexico needs more help than we do."



Read more: http://www.sbsun.com/ci_15544948?source ... z0u9qtkOlf

Again, "The real Dream Act would send these students back to their HOME countries and stop draining our resources that could be used to assist United States Citizens and NOT the ILLEGALS and their anchors! Just follow the money! The Elitist Politicians and their Elitist Political Contributors want to continue to have United States Citizens pay the benefits for their ILLEGALS while they continue to have their BOTTOM LINES increased with the Cheap ILLEGAL Labor at the taxpayer's expense!
The Elitists are no more concerned about the ILLEGALS than they are of United States Citizens; JUST FOLLOW THE MONEY! Once again the Elitist Politicians from both major Political Parties and their Elitist Political Contributors consider United States citizens only as units of labor and the sooner we become a Third World Country the better for their bottom line! Our Elitist Politicians and their Elitist Political Contributors will not be happy until they transform the United States into a Third World Country for most of our citizens while furnishing the Chamber of Commerce and all their Elitist Special Interest Groups with their supply of cheap labor. The Elitist Politicians and their Elitist Contributors are socializing benefits to the ILLEGALS, camouflaged as welfare for United States Citizens, on the backs of United States citizens through our assets such as the Education System, Social Security, and Health Care not to mention our National Security while privatizing the profits for themselves!"

Originally Posted by lccat

Again, "The real Dream Act would send these students back to their HOME countries and stop draining our resources that could be used to assist United States Citizens and NOT the ILLEGALS and their anchors! Just follow the money! The Elitist Politicians and their Elitist Political Contributors want to continue to have United States Citizens pay the benefits for their ILLEGALS while they continue to have their BOTTOM LINES increased with the Cheap ILLEGAL Labor at the taxpayer's expense!
The Elitists are no more concerned about the ILLEGALS than they are of United States Citizens; JUST FOLLOW THE MONEY! Once again the Elitist Politicians from both major Political Parties and their Elitist Political Contributors consider United States citizens only as units of labor and the sooner we become a Third World Country the better for their bottom line! Our Elitist Politicians and their Elitist Political Contributors will not be happy until they transform the United States into a Third World Country for most of our citizens while furnishing the Chamber of Commerce and all their Elitist Special Interest Groups with their supply of cheap labor. The Elitist Politicians and their Elitist Contributors are socializing benefits to the ILLEGALS, camouflaged as welfare for United States Citizens, on the backs of United States citizens through our assets such as the Education System, Social Security, and Health Care not to mention our National Security while privatizing the profits for themselves!"

Well said Cat........

As a parent of a California college student, I say there is a lot wrong with her plea. California did pass a law against illegal aliens getting finanical aid to go to our colleges, but to date they are still receiving aid and attending our colleges due to the bill being held up in the courts.

Classes in California are so impacted that students are fighting to get into the required classes they need. They are having to take classes they don't need in order to retain enough credits needed for their financial aid packages. Instead of being able to complete their majors in the normal 4 years it is taking them 5-6 years. This adds cost and time to their education. For every seat in class taken by a illegal alien they are hurting a legal American student.

[quote="MontereySherry"]As a parent of a California college student, I say there is a lot wrong with her plea. California did pass a law against illegal aliens getting finanical aid to go to our colleges, but to date they are still receiving aid and attending our colleges due to the bill being held up in the courts.

Classes in California are so impacted that students are fighting to get into the required classes they need. They are having to take classes they don't need in order to retain enough credits needed for their financial aid packages. Instead of being able to complete their majors in the normal 4 years it is taking them 5-6 years. This adds cost and time to their education.[i] For every seat in class taken by a illegal alien they are hurting a legal American student. The dream act Is really our worst nightmare,especially In California where some 500,000 Illegals would have access to our university system,and then would get AMNESTY to complete their educations,and COMPETE for jobs against LEGAL U.S CITIZENS.... HELL NO

"whodat wrote:
<quoted text>
Let me get this straight, there was a "Mexican" in front of you, so automatically you assumed that they were what; here illegally and they must have had a fraudulent certificate.
Could it be that it was an American citizen who happend to be of Mexican ancestry in front of you, that had a certificate that was already verified?
No, that couldn't be the case because all you saw was a "Mexican" in front of you."

My comment on the source article in response to the above PRO-ILLEGAL comment:

The answer maybe that there are millions of ILLEGALS in the United States from mexico and many times they are assisted in becoming ILLEGAL by individuals who share their "mexico" heritage. Why do some Hispanics who are United States Citizens desire to partner themselves with criminal ILLEGALS? I would think any U.S. Citizens would want to distance themselves from the ILLEGALS! Could it be just the so called "Hispanics Leadership (?" fabricating a play for power and of course money always the money! Do all United States Citizens of any other heritage want to protect ILLEGALS who are in the United States as ILLEGALS from their heritage? The answer is NO except for only the individuals that would benefit financially from the ILLEGALS or receive Political Power. The Hispanic leadership (?) claims that the vast majority of U.S. Citizens of Hispanic Heritage do support the criminal ILLEGALS as strongly as the Hispanics leadership (?)!

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