The Dream Act
The D.R.E.A.M Act
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The D.R.E.A.M Act
The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act
When it comes to immigration reform, many people have their own opinion on how the United States government should implement immigration policies. We can all agree something needs to be done about it, but no one can seem to agree on what exactly we should do. The Federal DREAM Act has gained astonishing support in the past ten years. Members from both the Democratic and Republican parties have helped draft versions of the proposed bill which has helped gained bipartisan support. Yes, “You can say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one” (Lennon, 1971). The DREAM Act will not excuse an individual for breaking the law; it will provide a minor who unknowingly broke the law at the hands of their parents with an opportunity to earn U.S. citizenship, which will ultimately benefit our country’s economy, our national security and our nation.
History of the DREAM Act Before we can address the legislative background and the overall benefits this bill will have for the American people, I think it is important to understand the conditions in which the DREAM Act was formed. Imagine for a moment, if you or someone close to you grew up in America, only spoke English, received public education, celebrated the fourth of July every year with family and friends and by all means considered yourself an “American”. Then suddenly around age 16 your parents break the news and tell you that you are not an American citizen. You discover that your parents came to the United States illegally when you were a child and you realize that by being in the U.S. illegally, you are now breaking the law as well. At that point you realize that you’re stuck between a rock and hard place. If you continue your education and graduate from High School and even college, more than likely you won’t be able to find a job that will utilize your education or
Name
School
Class
Instructor
Date
The D.R.E.A.M Act
The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act
When it comes to immigration reform, many people have their own opinion on how the United States government should implement immigration policies. We can all agree something needs to be done about it, but no one can seem to agree on what exactly we should do. The Federal DREAM Act has gained astonishing support in the past ten years. Members from both the Democratic and Republican parties have helped draft versions of the proposed bill which has helped gained bipartisan support. Yes, “You can say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one” (Lennon, 1971). The DREAM Act will not excuse an individual for breaking the law; it will provide a minor who unknowingly broke the law at the hands of their parents with an opportunity to earn U.S. citizenship, which will ultimately benefit our country’s economy, our national security and our nation.
History of the DREAM Act Before we can address the legislative background and the overall benefits this bill will have for the American people, I think it is important to understand the conditions in which the DREAM Act was formed. Imagine for a moment, if you or someone close to you grew up in America, only spoke English, received public education, celebrated the fourth of July every year with family and friends and by all means considered yourself an “American”. Then suddenly around age 16 your parents break the news and tell you that you are not an American citizen. You discover that your parents came to the United States illegally when you were a child and you realize that by being in the U.S. illegally, you are now breaking the law as well. At that point you realize that you’re stuck between a rock and hard place. If you continue your education and graduate from High School and even college, more than likely you won’t be able to find a job that will utilize your education or
References: Durbin, R., & Leahy, P. (2010, December 8). U.S. Congress (S.3992) . The Dream Act of 2010 . Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. Hoffman, N. (2010, December 8). DREAM Act Rising. Boise Weekly , pp. 11-15. Legislative Background on the DREAM Act. (2010). Congressional Digest , 89 (9), p. 267. Lennon, J. (Composer). (1971). Imagine. [J. Lennon, Performer] On Imagine. United Kingdom. Locke, G. (2010, December 13). The DREAM Act and American commerce. Retrieved Feburary 22, 2011, from The White House Blog: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/12/13/dream-act-and-american-commerce Miranda, L Rodriguez, T. (2011). House passes, Senate narrowly fails to pass DREAM Act. Las Vegas Business Press (10212186) , 28 (3), pp. 9-10. The State of the Union