Immigrants are fueling this country. Without immigrants America would be like Europe or Japan with an aging population and no young people to come in and take care of it. We have to educate our immigrants. Congress nee. The measure charts a rigorous path that undocumented youths must negotiate to gain legal status and qualify for citizenship, and supporting it would be both good government and good politics. But the bill targets individuals brought here by their parents as children.

What is to be gained by holding otherwise law-abiding young people, who had no say in coming to this country, responsible for the illegal actions of others? The Dream Act also makes legal status contingent on school achievement and military service, the type of behavior that ought to be encouraged and rewarded. On August 11, , former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee explained to NPR the economic sense of allowing undocumented children to earn their citizenship: "When a kid comes to his country, and he's four years old and he had no choice in it — his parents came illegally.

He still, because he is in this state, it's the state's responsibility - in fact, it is the state's legal mandate - to make sure that child is in school.

So let's say that kid goes to school. That kid is in our school from kindergarten through the 12th grade. He graduates as valedictorian because he's a smart kid and he works his rear end off and he becomes the valedictorian of the school.

The question is: Is he better off going to college and becoming a neurosurgeon or a banker or whatever he might become, and becoming a taxpayer, and in the process having to apply for and achieve citizenship, or should we make him pick tomatoes? I think it's better if he goes to college and becomes a citizen. Education, military, religious and business leaders support the DREAM Act : The legislation is supported by a wide range of leaders from the education , military , and business fields, and from religious orders including the United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society; the U.

Conference of Catholic Bishops ; the evangelical movement , the Jewish community ; and many others. David S. Yet many of these young people may wish to join the military, and have the attributes needed - education, aptitude, fitness, and moral qualifications. Margaret Stock, a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.

Army Reserve retired ; a former professor at the U. June 11, ]. The Center for Naval Analyses issued a report finding that immigrants in the military have high levels of performance and lower rates of attrition. The report noted that non-citizens add valuable diversity to the armed forces and perform extremely well, often having significantly lower attrition rates than other recruits.

Final Report. We can allow a generation of immigrant students with great potential and ambitions to contribute more fully to our society and national security, or we can relegate them to a future in the shadows, which would be a loss for all Americans. You are here Home Blog. Twitter Facebook Email. This income is substantially higher than the income they would earn if they were unable to attend and complete a college education.

In fact, research indicates that the average college graduate earned nearly 60 percent more than a high-school graduate. The Durbin-Hatch bill would have given lawful status to Dreamers who came to America before turning 16, could pass criminal background checks, and either graduated high school or earned a GED. It would have made these Dreamers eligible for a "conditional residency" status that would let them live and work in the U. After six years, they could get lawful permanent resident status, better known as a "green card.

It has yet to pass. This effort failed when Congress withdrew the authorization bill because of issues related to the Iraq War timetable. We can't be certain what the future holds or whether Dreamers will ever become U. That bill, called the "American Dream and Promise Act of ," passed the House of Representatives but has not gone up for a Senate vote yet.

The bill proposes to create a three-step pathway to citizenship for Dreamers. First, a Dreamer could apply for something called " conditional permanent residence ," a special status that would grant the Dreamers work authorization and protect them from deportation. Second, any Dreamer with conditional permanent resident status could apply for " lawful permanent residence ," better known as a green card. Third, Dreamers who have held green cards for five years could apply for citizenship by naturalization.

He also expressed his support for legislation that would provide a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients and temporary protected status TPS for other undocumented immigrants. Generally, U. The Republicans are a little more divided.

The Senate, which is evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, has yet to vote on the Act. There is no telling how soon that could happen. If you are eligible , you can use ImmigrationHelp. Click "Get Started" to see if ImmigrationHelp. At ImmigrationHelp. Neither ImmigrationHelp. By using this website, you do not enter any form of attorney-client relationship with ImmigrationHelp.

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