The Dream Act Essay -- Immigration

Being an undocumented student in the U.S is literally being cursed for being born outside the country because one will find virtually all doors to the American Dream closed. Apparently working hard, graduating from high school, living here mostly a whole life, and the desire to become someone successful and contribute to this country is not enough in the eyes of the opponents to the Dream Act to qualify for neutralization. All aspirations and hopes for a better future vanish when one finds out that it’s impossible to attend a university or find a job because proof of citizenship is required. All AB 540 students experience this situation and the Dream Act is the solution to stop these sufferings. The Dream Act is a bill that was first introduced in the senate in 2001 and has been reintroduced several times but has not been successful. This bill would provide AB 540 students conditional permanent residency, allow them to qualify for some federal and state financial assistance, and after completing certain strict requirements they would soon be able to apply for their citizenship. The Dream Act should be passed not only to be fair to AB 540 students, but for the benefit of our economy, baby boomers, and the future of the United States. The Dream Act establishes a rigorous process for AB 540 students and they must meet several strict requirements. This means that not all undocumented students would qualify; only the fortunate, the brightest and overachievers would qualify. Generally â€Å"they must prove that they came to the United States before the age of 16, have lived here for at least five years, do not have a criminal record, are not removable from the country and possess good moral character† (Duncan A.19"). These students mus... ...oto, Lourdes Diaz. "IMMIGRATION TO THE U.S." The Praeger Handbook of Latino Education in the U.S. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2007. Credo Reference. Web. 16 Sept. 2014. "Standing Up for Immigrant Students." Rethinking Schools Vol. 18, No. 2. Winter 2003: 4-5. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 12 Oct 2014. Susan, Farley. Class Lecture. Allan Hancock College Room C-35, Santa Maria Ca. 3 Nov. 2014. Lecture. "The DREAM Act." Immigration Policy Center. Web. 8 Nov. 2014. . "Kick-starting Immigration Reform." The Washington Post. The Washington Post Company, 12 May 2011. A.20. ProQuest direct. Web. 20 Sept. 2014. Warner, Judith. "Education Costs.", â€Å"Social Security and Baby Boomers.† Battleground Immigration. Greenwood Group, 2009. 267-273, 784-785. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). EBSCO. Web. 30 Sept. 2014.