Thread: Immigrants need opportunity for U.S. future

Immigrants need opportunity for U.S. futureMarch 20 , 2007
TOM PARKS
GUEST COLUMNIST
Aliens: Illegal, Undocumented, Immigrants, Doctors, Authors, Teachers, Social Changers. These words do not go together, unless they are somehow intertwined in a way that you are unaware of. As tension and fences rise in our country dealing with the issue of undocumented immigrants, there is one demographic that our two political parties seem to be coming together on—students.

Why students? The economic well-being of our country depends on their successful education. In states like California, 41 percent of individuals between the ages of 15 and 24 are Latino, many of whom are undocumented immigrants.

The Urban Institute in concordance with the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois are home to up to 50,000, more than 100,000 and more than 400,000 undocumented immigrants.

For many upcoming undocumented high school graduates, the decision to come to the United States was not their own. Yet they are here, and here is home. These students have undergone the same curriculum and academic requirements as their classmates and deserve the same opportunities to succeed as anyone else.

In 2001, the United States Congress first introduced an idea to help support these undocumented students. It has changed shape over the years to become what is now known as the DREAM (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) Act.

The DREAM Act would eventually legalize students who have lived in the U.S. for more than five years since the age of 15 or younger, graduated from high school and applied for conditional legal status.

The conditional legal status lasts for six years, in which time a student must graduate with a two-year degree, complete two years of a four-year degree or complete two years of active U.S. military service, all while maintaining good moral character. After this, the student would be legalized as a U.S. citizen.

The Urban Institute estimates that 65,000 students who graduate from high school each year would qualify for citizenship under the DREAM Act. Each year, 65,000 future leaders of the United States would have an opportunity to make a lasting change by finding a lasting presence in this country.

The DREAM Act gained some momentum this past May when it passed the Senate, but it was ignored by the House. However, with more bipartisan support than ever this session, there is a feeling that this is the year it will finally be enacted.

I urge you to contact your state senator or representative and take the time to write him or her an e-mail. As part of an institution that could adopt some of those most gifted 65,000 high school graduates annually, I encourage you to talk to our administration, faculty, Student Senate and to one another.

Your voice does make a difference. I believe in diversity not for the sake of diversity or quotas as is so often talked about at our institution for higher education, but diversity for the sake of unity, justice and progression.

Take time to reflect and do something to enact this dream in our nation, on our campus and in your own heart.
http://public.wartburg.edu/trumpet/2007 ... rants.html

Seems we have 65,000 of our own citizens who could be adopted by an institution for their future as well. They aren't entitled to one now?

HEAR MY VOICE! NO! OUR STUDENTS FIRST!

The current federal law says that if the schools chose to give illegals in state tuition, they must give all US citizens in-state tuition. Yet they routinely ignore that law. I live in GA and had to pay 4 times what an illegal pays to attend college. Why do I have to compete for classes, pay 4 times what they pay, when they came here illegally?

Where is my equal protection?

JanInGeorgia:

Welcome aboard! You ask some very pertinent questions to which I have not heard a good answer.

You might be interested to learn that we are going to have a Focus activity kick up here in the very near future about the DREAM Act that is being pushed by the pro-illegal legislators in Congress. If you have the time, you might well apply your efforts there to doing something to change the messed up way things are.

Stick around. If you have questions, comments, etc feel free to let someone know.

Enjoy.


PS. I've composed a list of 'essential links' about illegal immigration and related topics which I'll share with you (below) - please do check 'em out!

Roy Beck's (NumbersUSA) Video presentation on US growth population growth, due almost entirely to immigration:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... oy+beck&hl

Teddy Roosevelt's 'Sole Loyalty/Assimilation of Immigrants' Speech:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/quotes/troosevelt.asp

Richard Lamm's Speech on Multiculturalism - and it's implications for
the long-term well-being of the US (aka. "How to Destroy America" speech)
http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/lamm.asp

How do Americans feel about illegal immigration?
Here is one answer from a highly respected and non-partisan polling firm:
www.cis.org/articles/2006/2006poll.html

JanInGeorgia wrote:

The current federal law says that if the schools chose to give illegals in state tuition, they must give all US citizens in-state tuition. Yet they routinely ignore that law. I live in GA and had to pay 4 times what an illegal pays to attend college. Why do I have to compete for classes, pay 4 times what they pay, when they came here illegally?

Ten states have passed laws allowing in-state tuition for illegal aliens. They have been in defiance of federal law. Students have filed lawsuits against the states.

The Dream Act would amend current law, and take the states off of the hook for violating federal law while allowing in-state tuition for illegals who have been in the school system for 6 years. In other words, the longer they have violated the law, the better.

It will also encourage more illegal immigration and is opposed by the majority of Americans, but apparently that does not matter anymore.

And, welcome. I used to live in Georgia and I still miss it!

Oliver

Each year, 65,000 future leaders of the United States would have an opportunity to make a lasting change by finding a lasting presence in this country.

What have we become when illegal aliens are looked upon as "future leaders" of the country??? I'm sure they will be brimming with loyalty and appreciation of all we have done for them!??

Georgia has actually passed a law that will forbid this practice as well. It is supposed to go into effect in July..that is unless it is shot down.

But in the interim, I am entitled to in-state tuition, based on the federal law. When I was denied the refund of the difference between the proper in-state tuition and the overcharged out-of state tuition, I appealed to the Board of Regents for the refund. They responded that they were going to hold public hearings in May to obtain community imput on the subject. What part of ITS A FEDERAL LAW don't they understand? They sure quote them to me when I applied for my Pell grant, and Stafford loans to pay for this tuition!

Federal Immigration and Nationality Act
Section 8 USC 1324(a)(1)(A)(iv)(b)(iii)

"Any person who . . . encourages or induces an alien to . . . reside . . . knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such . . . residence is . . . in violation of law, shall be punished as provided . . . for each alien in respect to whom such a violation occurs . . . fined under title 18 . . . imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both."

Section 274 felonies under the federal Immigration and Nationality Act, INA 274A(a)(1)(A):

A person (including a group of persons, business, organization, or local government) commits a federal felony when she or he:

* assists an alien s/he should reasonably know is illegally in the U.S. or who lacks employment authorization, by transporting, sheltering, or assisting him or her to obtain employment, or

* encourages that alien to remain in the U.S. by referring him or her to an employer or by acting as employer or agent for an employer in any way, or

* knowingly assists illegal aliens due to personal convictions.

Penalties upon conviction include criminal fines, imprisonment, and forfeiture of vehicles and real property used to commit the crime. Anyone employing or contracting with an illegal alien without verifying his or her work authorization status is guilty of a misdemeanor. Aliens and employers violating immigration laws are subject to arrest, detention, and seizure of their vehicles or property. In addition, individuals or entities who engage in racketeering enterprises that commit (or conspire to commit) immigration-related felonies are subject to private civil suits for treble damages and injunctive relief.

Welcome to Alipac Cricket23!

Thanks for the great information.

Dixie