Undocumented Immigrants Should Not Be Abolished Essay

The undocumented students that will benefit from the Dream Act are students that are practically U.S citizens but not by birth. Some opponents to the Dream Act don’t realize how much these students have suffered throughout their life. The article, “Standing up for Immigrant Students,” mentions all of these hardships and struggles; children are exposed to many dangers when crossing the border, and once they settle in the U.S they face other hardships and struggles like learning a new language, meeting the expectations of their instructors, and being discriminated against (4-5). Despite the obstacles they encounter in their path, many manage the way to do well in school and many overpass American students and become leaders in their community. Being undocumented becomes a major issue for undocumented high school graduates who want to continue their education because it’s nearly impossible to attend a University and get federal help because a valid social security number is required. These young adults are some of the best and brightest students in this country;

In “Undocumented students’ Access to College: The American Dream Denied,” Chavez, Soriano and Olivia (2007) have stated that millions of students who live in United States are undocumented immigrants; most of them come to U.S at a very young age. They completed their high school and achieved great academic success, some of them even got admitted by well know universities. From 2002 onwards , Assembly Bill 540 (AB 540) , authorized by the late Marco Antonio Firebaugh , allows any student who has completed three years high school, and received a high school diploma or equivalent in California, regardless of their immigration status, are legally allowed to attend colleges and universities (Chavez,Soriano and Oliverez 256).Even though they are eligible to apply and be admitted to universities, but they are not eligible to apply for federal financial aid, without the help of financial aid, it is extremely difficult for them to afford tuition. In this case, it severely limits undocumented student’s chances for upward mobility.

Being an undocumented college student can be very difficult, there are many economical and emotional barriers. College tuition doubles when you are undocumented and must be a resident of the state you’d like to attend school in. Some schools require you to be US born in other to attend the school. Fortunately, Deferred Action for Childhood

In 1996, Congress passed the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) which prevented undocumented students to receive postsecondary educational benefit on the basis of residence in a state unless U.S. citizens a were eligible for the same benefit (Frum, 2007). However, the act did not prohibit states from granting in-state tuition to undocumented students; rather, the act mentioned that out-of-state U.S. citizens must also qualify for the same benefits. According to Olivas (2004), the IIRIRA gives states the authority to determine state residency for tuition purpose.

The DREAM Act plays a big role in the nation’s effort to have the highest proportion of graduates in the world by 2020 (Miranda). Allowing this to pass would reduce the drop out rate significantly all throughout the country. 65,000 undocumented students graduate from high school every year. In Luis Miranda’s Get The Facts On The Dream Act, Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan has stated that passing the Dream Act will allow “these young people to live up to their fullest potential and contribute to the economic growth of our country.” It gives students the incentive to go through school and get a degree. When undocumented students are attending school, some colleges wont accept them. Knowing that, they do not have the drive or interest in pursuing a college degree. A lot of immigrants now will finish high school, get there diploma, then go find a job. Having this bill passed will change the education in the United States forever.

The Dream Act, the Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors Act is a bipartisan legislation pioneered by Sen. Orin Hatch [R-UT] and Sen. Richard Durbin [D-IL].The undocumented students will granted a conditional legal status. Within the 6 years the student must be able to obtain a degree from a four year university. After the 6 years passes the conditional status becomes a legal American citizen. The following is the detailed qualification process obtained from the official web site of the dream act:

The current public policy, the statues quo, is the first alternative. This policy allows undocumented students who have resided in Texas for at least 3 years, graduated from a Texas high school, and who sign an affidavit ensuring they will apply for legal status as soon as possible to attend colleges and universities in Texas while receiving state aid (“SB 1403 Bill Analysis”, 2001). This policy has benefited thousands of undocumented immigrants since it was first enacted in 2001. This policy does not reward the immigrants like many claim, but instead evens out the plaining field for children who were brought into the state and country at no fault of their own. Undocumented students who pursue higher education constitute a small group of extremely

In the past immigration laws and immigration itself has had some flaws but really is a good thing for the U.S. First off the agriculture rise that has happened over the years. Immigrants help the agricultural rise because most immigrants when they migrate look only towards the agriculture work which includes field work and stock animal work. These immigrants are needed for our everyday agricultural needs. According to (Ed Studdord) if all Illegal immigrants were to go back tomorrow to wherever they came from everything we know that is agriculture will collapse instantly. The biggest pro of immigration in history is the low wage workers. These low wage workers in the past till now have helped balance the economy a lil more. Now 52 of every 100 migrant workers have illegal status and yet they are hardworking.

Angela M. Banks states, “while a number of states prohibit undocumented students from being eligible for in-state tuition rates, only Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina prohibit these students from enrolling in public colleges and universities” (1425). While American students can pay in-state tuition to attend college. Again, immigrant students are not given the same privilege. Furthermore, immigrant students have a hard enough time getting into college, now they might not even be able to pay for it due to the fact they are not being treated like any other in-state student trying to better themselves. In all, children who have been brought to America as a child by their parents should be able to have the same rights as an American citizen. It only seems fair since they had no say on whether they wanted to come to America or

The reason is that there will be fair admission to higher education once the nonresident student successfully fulfills the needful requirements for admission. This will also make a fair treatment for students by the college institution and among students themselves. Once the student complies with the residency requirements, the student is entitled to access to an in-state tuition or resident tuition rate which is granted according to the Texas Law. “Texas House Bill 1403 granted certain non­immigrant students, including undocumented stu­dents, access to in­state tuition rates at Texas public institutions of higher education and state financial aid. To qualify, the bill required students to have: resided in Texas with a parent or guardian while attending high school in Texas, resided in Texas for the three years leading to graduation or receipt of a GED or provided their institutions a signed affidavit indicating intent to apply for perma­nent resident status as soon as able to do so”(Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board). Although the House Bill 1403 may have required three years of residency, the Senate Bill 1528 repealed House Bill 1403 and dropped the requirement of having lived with a parent and establishing residency at 12 months.(Heilig, et

Also the dream act is helpful because it lends them financial aid and they get a social security to then pay the country back. While they get educated the country is getting a reward as well. Like in the case of Carla Chavarria, she works in graphic design and still goes to college during the night time and with the money she gets she is paying her college tuition (Gonzales). This is what every student in the United States faces right after high school. They get a job and go to college. But, unfortunately some immigrants stop going to school because they cannot afford the tuition and the books. They get a job in the fields and work because they do not get hired for being resident. The hope they had to achieve their dreams just fade away because they know they can not get educated like everybody else. When the dream act was passed many immigrants got faith and very happy because their dreams were going to actually become a reality. In a way this is very helpful to illegal immigrants that want to be successful and live a stable life.

For many years, people from all over the world have come to the United States seeking a better life for themselves, their spouse, their children and even their children's children. However, not every immigrant comes into this country legally and many of these illegal immigrants are poor, uneducated and may be carrying contagious diseases. They may arrive here via human trafficking, smuggling or other methods. There is one thing we know for sure that many of them choose to remain silence when they become victims. The three main reasons they become invisible victims are they are not aware they are victimized, they don't know the right way to ask for help and they are afraid to be fired or even deported.

Illegal immigration has caused a lot of controversy within the United States. The media has influenced our society to make us believe that illegal immigrants are horrible people. One thing that I have learned throughout life is, “Man is born free; and everywhere he is in chains (Rousseau 4).” This sums up how society dictates our lives and limits us to what the media wants to us to believe. Whether it is legal or illegal, everybody should be treated equally. Illegal immigrants might always end up with the short end of the stick, but they heavily support the US economy. They contribute by paying taxes every year. In addition, they adopt difficult low wage jobs that are not of interest to the average American.

Immigrants come to America chasing hopes and dreams of someday having a life of wealth. The United States has this imagine that everything will be better and all your problems will be solved. However, in the last century we’ve had a raise of Illegal Immigrants in the country.

Those who propose barring the children of illegal immigrants from our schools have understandable worries. They worry that their state taxes will rise as undocumented children crowd their school systems. They worry about