Essay about Undocumented Students

More than 11 million undocumented illegal immigrants fill the US. Over the past hundreds years immigrants have been coming into the United States,this process has continued. And some may disagree and believe in that immigrants should not have a path to citizenship. It is immigrants should have a path to citizenship. Undocumented immigrants should get a path to citizenship

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;

Approximately 200,000 to 225,000 undocumented immigrants enroll in American institutions of higher education and represent 2 percent of all students in college (Suarez-Orozco, Katsiaficas, Birchall, Alcantar, & Hernandez, 2015). Undocumented students have low rates of enrollment to programs of higher education in comparison to documented students. When undocumented students begin college, they go through struggles to adapt and assimilate to college life. As a result of feeling disconnected to the campus they attend, undocumented students may look for different options for support, such as clubs and centers offered for students. In recent years, there have been legal changes set in place to support the success of undocumented students enrolled in higher education, which include in state tuition, financial aid, and scholarship opportunities. These changes have given undocumented students more choices and access to

If we talk about undocumented immigrants in United States, we usually focus on the benefits and jobs they take from our country, but have we ever stood in their shoes and imagine what life is like for an illegal immigrant? To live as an undocumented immigrant is a bad situation, but I believe to be a child of an undocumented immigrant is even worse, because their choices are limited and they are unaware of their rights to attend colleges. In this research, I will focus on undocumented immigrant students, who are unable to afford for higher education, and the fear of their unknown future which is mainly cause by their undocumented status. The largest invisible group in America, to explore “what are the struggles and unsolved problems of

DREAM Act qualifiers are chosen by very specific and narrow guidelines. A few of the conditions include entering the United States before the age 16 and have been here in the U.S. for at least 5 years in a row before the bill has been enacted. The person would have to have either received an American high school diploma or GED, or have been accepted into some kind of college and/or university. The applicant would have to be no younger than twelve and no older than thirty five at the time of their application. Also, they would have to have proof of “good moral character”. There is no solid definition for the term “good moral character”, except

An educational reform in higher education would eliminate the many educational and occupational barriers undocumented students face today. By permitting access to undocumented students into postsecondary education and earn a degree would eliminate poverty and unemployment levels in the country. It is essential to give as many young people undocumented or not the opportunity to enroll and succeed in postsecondary education to strengthen the economy of the United States. The younger generations are the future of this country and undocumented students are not the exception. These young students also play an important part in society today and if given the opportunity to earn a professional degree will most definitely impact American society in the years to come.

About half a million children are born to undocumented immigrants every year. These children are not given the opportunities that they so rightly deserve. They spend their entire lives in the United States and are considered illegal immigrants. They are given no choice, but to live their life as an undocumented immigrant. That is what the DREAM Act is trying to solve. The DREAM Act, or Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors is a proposal that would provide permanent residency to undocumented immigrants who meet certain eligibility requirements (The DREAM Act). If the DREAM Act is approved, then the education will be improved. It will improve the economy, the military will receive a significant increase in recruitments, and

applicants are those under the protection of this program whom are of age of thirty one years or

Many felt like their door is closed because of being undocumented, and some abandon their American dream and gave up hope (Shelepov, n.d.). To challenge the constitutionality of this law and provide equal opportunities for all students, several states decided to establish their own immigration legislation to allowed undocumented students’ access to in-state tuition rates and eligible for certain scholarships or state financial aid. For instance, California, Illinois, Kansa, Maryland, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin help undocumented students afford to attend college by paying the same college tuition as other residents (The DREAM Act, 2010). The state of California created their own DREAM Act that allowed undocumented students to received reduced in-state tuition at public colleges and universities. They can also receive in-state financial support such as Cal Grant A, B, or C only if undocumented students apply, meet certain requirements and submit an application (DREAM ACT (n.d.). The state of California also provide extending loans if undocumented students have financial need. The dream is coming true for many undocumented students as some states have already made it possible for them to pursue their college

With the federal dream act law, Immigrants that came from other countries can legally stay in the country without fearing deportation and allowing immigrants or so called “Dreamers” to further their education or academic goal, apply for a job legally and be eligible for a residential driver license although The Dream Act is very helpful there are some pre-qualifications that need to be met. According to Flair Isaiah:

Annually, there are close to 65,000 undocumented immigrants who graduate high school or earn a GED in order to then apply for college, only to be declined due to their lack of citizenship. Not only are they constantly turned away, if they are accepted, they are granted no financial aid and are forced to pay out-of-state tuition despite how long they may or may not have lived in that state (Bennion). Regardless of their residential status, Dreamers are capable of being honor students, athletes, valedictorians, all of the above, and everything a permanent citizen is able to assume the role of. They are just as intelligent, and if we provide to them the same resource as those who are legal are given, they could truly become a role model to many alike. On top of everything, it is already challenging for a Dreamer to get a job thanks to their status as a citizen, without a higher education they may have an insufficient chance of working a career or in a position of select field. Under the DREAM Act, these children could work a job with a salary enough to take care of them and their families if need be. Furthermore, if these people are allowed access to an increased amount of jobs, it would lead to economic growth in our

Specific Purpose: To persuade the members of my audience to support that undocumented students should have access to in-state tuition.

Eligible individuals must be age 35 or younger, hold a high school diploma or GED, and pass a criminal background check … Permanent residency may be offered to those who choose to complete two years of military service or two years of higher education. Early versions of the bill failed in 2001 and 2007…. As of 2016, the DREAM Act has not been passed.”

The United States is a country affected by illegal immigration. The term illegal aliens or what is most commonly known as illegal immigrants, the word alien is simply a person who comes from a foreign country. A much more accurate expression for these groups of individuals is the term illegal alien. The term illegal alien is a much more precise term because it deals with both undocumented aliens as well as nonimmigrant visa overstayers. Both terms illegal alien as well as illegal immigrant are used to describe individuals who have broken the law of our country to enter and work illegally. The majority of the immigrants who come to this country illegally are in search of the

“Education is the most powerful weapon, which you can use it to change the world.” Nelson Mandela’s quote exemplifies that education is like a shield that will protect us from whatever is harming the world. We can use education to change the world, but what if some people cannot have an education? This is the case of the Dreamers, mostly known as undocumented students. Most of these students did not know they were undocumented, until they either had to apply to college, work, vote or have their driver’s license. It was not until, August 1, 2001, that the bill of DREAM Act was introduced several times, but of all those several times, the bill has failed to pass. Instead of the DREAM Act, undocumented students were given the Deferred Action opportunity,