The Pros And Cons Of The Dream Act

The Dream Act is a bipartisan legislation and would permit certain immigrant students who have grown up in the United States to apply for temporary legal status and to go on to obtain permanent legal status and become a U.S. citizen if they attend college or the United States military. The Dream Act would also eliminate a federal provision that penalizes states that provide in-state tuition without regard to immigration status. Those eligible for the Dream Act would be illegal immigrants who came to the United States at age fifteen or younger as least five years before the date of the bill’s enactment. They would also need to have good moral character since entering in the U.S. in order to qualify for conditional permanent resident status upon a college acceptance, graduation from High School in the United States, or have obtained a GED. They would have this conditional permanent resident status for a limited time of six years. With this status the students would be able to work, drive, go to school, and live their life day to day as American citizens. However, they would not qualify for any federal aid or a pell grant. In order to obtain lawful permanent resident status if the immigrant maintained good moral character, did not travel abroad for a long period of time, and acquired a degree of B.A. …show more content…
or higher (“Immigration Reform”). This act caused political controversy in which opponents questioned what would happen with the status of parents and siblings of those affected by the dream act, and if they would eventually be able to become legal citizens. They also felt that illegal immigrants should not be rewarded, because it would take away from the merit and incentive for immigrants who come to the country legally (“Controversy over the Dream Act”). Many people did not want illegal immigrants to be able to gain citizenship by going to college or joining the military and felt that it created an unfair balance. In reality the Dream Act is not a reward but a chance of opportunity for illegal immigrants who have been in America for majority of their lives. Most of them came to America as young children and therefore should be granted citizenship because they worked hard and are able to go to college. This act does not allow them to get citizenship for any reason but because they are achieving higher education. In addition they are benefiting America by being able to contribute to society by going to school. They are going to American colleges and universities therefore they should have the right of gaining permanent legal status, because they ultimately earned it. They live their lives as Americans and follow the same rules and laws as we do and should be able to call themselves a citizen of the United States of America. This act plays a role in race and ethnicity because the main ones who are impacted by this act are mostly Hispanics. There are many minorities who travel to the United States, who would be able to benefit from this act. Which also means there would be a lot of Americans who would be against minorities being able to gain from this act. It causes ethnic tension because it as an act that solely benefits illegal immigrants who are of a minority, which many people do