[amc] Status of the DREAM Act
- From: "Ray Gingerich" <rjgingerich@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Milwaukee Mennonite" <milwaukee@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Austin Mennonite Church" <amc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2007 18:26:55 -0700
Friends
Some of you may be interested in this information from MCC.
Ray
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Dear Immigration Advocates,
As many of you already know, the DREAM Act (The Development, Relief, &
Education for Alien Minors Act) has been getting a lot of attention
recently. And although the bill is about providing legal options
(through education or service) to people who have grown up in the
United States, not all the attention has been positive.
Some worry the bill provides too strong an incentive for immigrant
young people to enlist in the armed services (one route to legal
status), and those concerns are important, but most of the reservations
being expressed on Capitol Hill today come from a much different
perspective.
The anti-immigrant groups that claimed responsibility for mobilizing
opposition that killed a comprehensive immigration overhaul in June
have now focused on the DREAM Act. As many as 260,000 anti-immigrant
faxes have been sent in the last several days in an attempt to
completely kill the bill. One group even sent the following strategic
advice to its base: "We need to build a toxic force on Capitol Hill to
poison this amnesty."
Attached below (and posted on our website) is a handout from the MCC
Washington Office with some facts about the DREAM Act and suggestions
for ways Anabaptists can advocate for its educational and earned legal
status opportunities, while still expressing common reservations about
other aspects of the bill.
We hope you find this helpful. As always, please do not hesitate to
let me know if you have any questions.
http://www.mcc.org/us/washington/issues/immigration/dream
_act.pdf<http://www.mcc.org/us/washington/issues/immigration/dream_act.pdf>
Krista Zimmerman
Legislative Associate
Mennonite Central Committee
________________________________________________________________________
_____________________
The DREAM Act
The Development, Relief, & Education for Alien Minors Act
What is it? Background:
· Approximately 65,000 immigrant children are unable to pursue
their dreams of going to college every year because they lack legal
immigration status. They face unique barriers to higher education such
as ineligibility for financial aid; they are unable to legally work
here; and they live in constant fear of detection by immigration
authorities. Despite the fact that many have grown up in the U.S.,
attended local schools, and demonstrated a sustained commitment to
learn English, U.S. immigration laws provide no legal avenues for these
students to rectify their status.
· The DREAM Act was first introduced as a legislative remedy for
high school graduates who were brought to the U.S. as minors and do not
have legal immigrant status to pursue higher education and legal
citizenship.
· In 1982, the Supreme Court ruled (in Plyer v. Doe) that
undocumented minors are not responsible for their immigration status,
and are therefore eligible for free public education. The DREAM Act
seeks to make federal policy consistent by making public higher
education attainable.
The Legislation:
· The DREAM Act (S.774) is sponsored by Senators Richard Durbin
(D-IL), Chuck Hagel (R-NE), and Richard Lugar (R-IN) & the American
Dream Act (H.R. 1275) is sponsored by Representatives Lincoln
Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Howard Berman (D-CA), and Rep. Lucille
Roybal-Allard (D-CA).
Eligibility/Requirements:
Students must have:
1) entered the U.S. before the age of 16;
2) been physically present in the U.S. for a continuous period of not
less than five years
immediately preceding the date of enactment;
3) been admitted to a U.S. institution of higher education or earned a
high school diploma
or general education development (GED) certificate; and
4) been a person of good moral character since the time of application.
· The DREAM Act would allow certain immigrant students who meet
the legislation's eligibility requirements to become residents for a
period of six years.
· To have the conditional basis of their resident status lifted,
students would have to satisfy one of the following requirements within
six years:
1) earn a degree from a U.S. institution of higher education or
complete at least two
years of a bachelor's or higher degree program; or
2) serve in the U.S. Armed Forces for at least two years and, if
discharged, receive an
honorable discharge.
MCC Washington Office Position:
· MCC supports passage of the DREAM Act, which will provide
increased economic opportunity and earned legalization for immigrants
brought to the U.S. when they were very young.
· Although respectful of another's choice to serve in the armed
forces, MCC believes military recruiters sometimes pressure and even
mislead potential recruits, especially disadvantaged youth. MCC does
not want the DREAM Act to become a tool for unscrupulous recruitment.
· A service based organization itself, MCC would like to see
humanitarian service, through national service programs like Americorps
and Peace Corps, added to the DREAM Act as an alternative to military
and educational paths to citizenship.
Additional Information
What the DREAM Act will do:
* Improve Access to College
Qualified undocumented students will become eligible for in-state
tuition in the states where they graduated from high school.
* Reduce High School Drop-Out Rates
Given that tuition and citizenship benefits of the DREAM Act would only
be available to high school graduates, the legislation provides a
powerful incentive to stay in school.
* Increase Educated Workforces
Over 80% of the 23 million jobs that will be created in the next 10
years will require postsecondary education (ACE, 2004). Currently, only
36% of all 18-24 year olds are enrolled in postsecondary education
(NCES, 2004). The DREAM Act will have a significant positive impact on
the future workforce. Additionally, research shows that a more educated
workforce leads to increased earnings, lower crime and poverty rates,
and fewer demands on public assistance programs.
* Increase Revenue for the States
Nine states have passed legislation similar to the DREAM Act, and have
not seen an influx in immigration, the displacement of other students
in higher education, or a drain on the education system, as many
critics have feared.
* Make Federal Policy Consistent with Federal Precedent
The Supreme Court ruled in 1982 that undocumented minors are not
responsible for their immigration status and are therefore entitled to
elementary and secondary education. The DREAM Act would repeal a
federal law that discourages states from providing in-state tuition to
these students. This contradiction represents a wasted investment for
the states, who have educated these students through high school but
cannot benefit from their tuition dollars or contributions to the
economy or tax revenue.
What the DREAM Act will not do:
* The bill would not require any state to grant in-state college
tuition benefits to any group of students based on residency.
* The bill would not provide a path to education and citizenship for
immigrants who were 16 years of age or older when they were brought to
the United States.
* The bill would not provide a path to education and citizenship for
persons who do not maintain good moral standing during the six-year
conditional permanent residence period.
* The bill would not provide for federal educational grants for the
undocumented students it affects.
What YOU can do:
* Ask your representatives in Congress to support the DREAM Act, by
writing letters, sending faxes or e-mails and making phone calls.
* Get family and friends involved; generate support on the local level
to help counter the loud anti-immigrant voices opposed to anything that
helps those from other countries.
* Talk to lawmakers about including a national service option in the
DREAM Act so ambitious immigrant students can serve their country and
earn money for college in more than one way.
Why Respond? A Faith Reflection:
In Leviticus 19:33-34, Moses instructs us how to treat one another,
especially those from other countries: "When an alien lives with you in
your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be
treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were
aliens in Egypt." Moreover, we are called to keep on loving each other
as brothers and sisters, and not to forget to entertain strangers, for
by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it
(Hebrews 13:1-2). This is especially fitting when reflecting on the
DREAM Act, as many affected students have and continue to contribute to
the growth, diversity & vibrancy of U.S. society.
--
Center for Strength-based Strategies
Ray Gingerich, Associate
5631 Bentwood Lane
Greendale (Milwaukee), WI 53129
phone (512) 569-7111
email rjgingerich@xxxxxxxxx
fax (815) 371-2292
website: www.buildmotivation.com
"Change is possible when I stop trying to become that which I am not and
become that which I am." Frederick Perls
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