Still Dreaming!

For nearly ten years there has been a bipartisan effort to enact legislation to relieve the plight of children who have been brought to the United States by their undocumented parents, often under a visitor’s visa in a more permissive time. These children have grown up in our communities and been educated in our schools, and consider themselves Americans.  As many as 65,000 of them graduate from our high schools each year, some of them as class presidents, valedictorians and honor roll students. Many dream of being teachers, engineers, doctors and U.S. citizens just as we and our children have.  The problem is that U.S. immigration laws have no mechanism for dealing with the special circumstances these children face through no fault of their own.  Because they are “without papers” many are unable to apply to college, find legal employment or become legal residents.  Attempts to do any of these things bring the risk of deportation to countries they do not remember.

The DREAM Act (The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act) would authorize legal residency for a limited period of time for students who graduate from high school to either attend college or join the military, to earn permanent residency and eventually qualify for U.S. citizenship. The DREAM Act directly benefits students who have worked to achieve a high school education; it does not grant citizenship or any other special privileges, merely the opportunity to earn their share of the American dream.  AAUW points out that the Dream Act benefits our nation as well.  “On average, a worker's earnings double with a college degree compared to a high school degree. Increased education and earnings lead to increased tax revenue, decreased reliance on public assistance programs, lower unemployment rates, and increased voting, volunteering, and other civic activities. well-educated society is a stronger society.”

When the DREAM Act was reintroduced on March 26, 2009 with bipartisan support in both the U.S. House (H.R. 1751) and Senate (S. 729), AAUW joined a long list of proponents and declared its support for the measure, expressing optimism that this time the American sense of fairness would prevail  and the legislation would be enacted.  As of this writing, however, both bills remain in committee and hearings have not been scheduled.  If you doubt that our students are still dreaming of success, stroll across the ASU campus, read the signs and chat with students.   They are still dreaming, and they need our help.

It is time, AAUW reminds us, to write to our senators and ask them to co-sponsor this legislation and support its passage.  Letters are still most important. Send them to The Honorable John McCain [Jon Kyl], The U.S. Senate, Washington DC 20515.  Sen. McCain can be reached at 202-224-2235, Sen. Kyl at 202-224-4521. 

If you have questions or would like to be added to the Public Policy e-mail list to receive more information, please contact Beverly Weiss.

        Beverly Weiss