Bibliography
Journals
- Besherse, Tammy. (2010). “The Dreamers: America’s Undocumented Youth.” Children’s Rights Litigation 13.1: 1-14.
- Groseclose, Rachael. (2010). “Pursuit of the American Dream.” Journal of College Admission 206: 2.
- Luis A. Crouch, (1991). “A simplified linear programming approach to the estimation of enrolment transition rates: estimating rates with minimal data availability,” Economic Certification Review 10(3): 259-269.
- Palacios, Moses. (2010). “The Dream Act Explained.” Journal of College Admission 206: 2.
Books
- Thorpe, Helen. (2009). Just Like Us. New York: Scribner.
- Welner, Kevin Grant and Wendy C. Chi. (2008).Current Issues in Education Policy and the Law. Charlotte, N.C.: Information Age Publishing, Inc.
Government Reports
- Olivas, Michael A. (2011). “The Political Economy of the DREAM Act and the Legislative Process.”. University of Houston Law Center. 31 October 2011.
- DREAM Act: Summary.” (2011). National Immigration Law Center.
News Articles
- Campo-Flores, Arian.(2010). “Keeping Obama to His Word.” Newsweek.
- Chitty, Haley.(2010). “Debating the Delayed DREAM Act.” University Business.
- Gomez, Alan. (2010). “Alien Minors Act Could Boost U.S. Military Ranks.” USA Today.
- Johnson, Fawn.(2009). “The Dream Act Message: It’s about Education.” CongressDaily.
- Leppala, Mike.(2012). “Dream a Little DREAM: A Solution to US Illegal Immigration That Is Fair to All.” Christian Science Monitor.
- Marshall Fitz and Ann Garcia. (2010). “The DREAM Act by the Numbers: Providing High-Achieving Young People a Path to Earn Citizenship”, Washington: Center for American Progress.
IntroductionThe Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act or the DREAM Act is a legislative proposal in America that aims at providing permanent residency to illegal aliens who have shown good moral character, under certain conditions. The DREAM Act was first proposed in the Senate by Orrin Hatch and Dick Durbin, on August 1, 2001. The bill proposed to provide permanent American Citizenship to certain illegal aliens who arrived in the US as minors and have graduated from US-based high schools. The illegal aliens should be living in the US at least 5 years before the bill was passed.
Why the Dream Act is Important
- The DREAM Act would help the children of illegal immigrants to obtain a legal status in the US, thereby eliminating their fear of deportation.
- Almost 35% of the youth in US consists of illegal immigrants who have lived here all their lives but still so not have a legal status. These hardworking and motivated young people have the capabilities of boosting the US economy.
The Policy Concerns
The Policy has faced stiff opposition on the grounds that it would lead to mass amnesty and spur higher illegal immigration.
Discussion: Applying the policy paradox model to the DREAM Act refers to understanding the advantages and disadvantages of the act without the involving the politics in it. The US currently has almost five million undocumented and illegal children and young adults. The illegal aliens face a challenging and unique paradox. On one hand, these teenagers and children excel academically, work hard and aspire for a good career but on the other hand their undocumented status disregards their capabilities and restricts their opportunities. These so-called illegal immigrants face many social and economic hardships in the only country they have known.
The Counter Arguments:
The opponents of the DREAM Act say that:
- The Act if amended may result in mass amnesty.
- The DREAM Act will lead to higher illegal immigration and would also take away the opportunities from legal American students.
Conclusion and Recommendation:
The passing of DREAM Act would enable the illegal youths to use their hard-work and capacities to increase the overall US economy. Many researches and studies prove that the DREAM Act would result in enhanced fiscal and economic health for the US. The DREAM Act is an economically sensible approach to provide legal status to undocumented youth for whom the US the only home they have ever known.
