Introduction
The California Dream Act enables illegal immigrants who have graduated from high school a Cal-grant aid. They are also entitled to a permit of residence for 6 years. The Carl-grant is divided into two, A and B. Section A considers the grade point average (GPA) and financial necessity. B depends on GPA, the highest level of education of the applicant’s parents and marital status. Legal citizens have difficulty times applying and getting financial help. Allowing illegal immigrants to the aid on simple requirement is amnesty of the highest level. It heightens unfairness compared to applicants who are U.S citizens. It will bring down the current wage rates (which need to be raised) for citizens and also make unwilling workers. This will lead to lesser work and wages for citizens. I am opposed the amnesty program for the illegal immigrants. It is absurd and unjust to the legal citizens of the U.S. indeed the dream act is a finance fantasy.
The dream Act gives illegal immigrants a permit of residence. This will also attract illegal workers who will depress wages. This is because those who hire will take advantage of them and the effect will be lesser work and lower wages for legal citizens. However, the bipartisan immigration law supported by President George W. Bush in 2007 can be looked into for reform. It planned “Z” visas which could solve the labor situation in the U.S. and applied to all the workers whether citizens or non citizens. It will result into high wage demand by non citizens but this would better the current wage rate for citizens. America does not need amnesty programs.
Even if there are fine arguments to support the Act, requirements for the illegal immigrants to get in the benefits of the act are simple. They are effortless in ensuring just consideration. The applicants must have studied a California high school for three years or more and graduated. Alternatively, they hold a GED diploma and have proof of actively searching citizenship or will search when they qualify. This creates a loophole in the act which is most likely to attract more illegal immigrants. Also emerging from this is the ordinary American worker faced with global competition. Such citizen is expected to dance to the senate plan:
“Our proposal will provide businesses the ability to hire lower – skilled workers in a timely manner when Americans are unavailable or unwilling to fill those jobs.”
In fact low wages can lead to unavailable and unwilling workers meaning Americans are left out to accommodate poor illegal immigrants. The immigration program should be restructured to factor in workers with needed skills.
The Act creates an unfair competition between immigrants and citizens. The immigrants are not documented yet they easily receive the financial aid. The citizens, who are legal, have to proof first that they are independent. Independent students are to be 25 years old or parents of children getting more than half of their income. Citizens who are not independent must give their parents’ tax details to proof low income and hence financial need. This requirement makes a bigger percentage of the applicants of the aid ineligible. This huge percentage constitutes the legal citizens. If the there is enough finance, why does the government have to be strict on the citizens? This is real finance fantasy.
The requirements for the citizens are very tight relative to the illegal immigrants. The tight requirements are evidence that the government revenue is not sufficient to cater for all. For citizens to qualify for the Carl-grant, it is divided into two parts, A and B. Section A considers the grade point average (GPA) and financial necessity. B depends on GPA, the highest level of education of the applicant’s parents and marital status. Those who are single do not get the advantages of part B. students with average and less than average grades get neither share A nor B. However, the Carl- Grant money is awarded to illegal immigrants after all other grants. Even with this condition it is still easier for the immigrants to get the funds. The citizens who are supposed to be prioritized come in after tougher obligation. The government should face reality in terms of the funds available instead of fantasying at the cost of residents.
The Dream Act is a burden to the state budget. The government is funding illegal immigrants when it is not able to do the same on the citizens. In addition to the Carl-Grant, the dream act benefits the non-resident applicants the Board of Governors Fee Waiver. It allows students from poverty backgrounds lesser or no fee to be enrolled in community college. It waives health and other services while it decreases price of parking permits. According to the California department of finance (2011), 2500 students are to get this grant for $14.5 million. Each student will receive $5800. As the state government is attempting to balance the budget, this grant adds up to debts. The U.S. government should not support amnesty program.
The state gives amnesty to illegal immigrants who have defied the correct channels of obtaining citizenship. As if that is not unfair enough, it also offers them grants on simple conditions. This is hurting to the residents who have attained citizenship legally. It is like when a parent rewards a child who has misbehaved instead of making the child realize the mistake. The point here is not advocating against immigrants. The big worry is that they are not legal migrants as compared to legal citizens. Yet they get favors through the Carl funds. This action may be against the state law as much as it is a show of amnesty. It is widely expected that the government would have tightened a bit the requirements. The citizens are the taxpayers providing dollars as money for the government. This same money is used to accommodate migrants who chose to be illegal. It is unacceptable and shameful to patriotic citizens.
It is understandable that the act will aid students to be skillful hence becoming more thriving later. This will reduce poverty. In conjunction with that, a student in America should not suffer for the parent’s act to get them to the country illegally. It is a fact that children from such families would generally be incapable of providing funds needed for education. I remember President Obama’s heart-felt praise of Alan Aleman. He stated “felt American in every way – and he was, except for one: paper.” Aleman recently became a U.S. citizen and is now studying to be a doctor and may join the Air Force. This is not totally wrong but a concern despite Aleman and others immigrant students struggle to better their lives. However, this should not be done at the cost of legal citizens. They should not be dragged into debts by the government since they are the taxpayers. In helping the poor immigrants, it should be done in the expected manner which is the right thing to do. It will ensure fairness rather than unjust to the citizens.
Other people would think that this editorial is against helping the poor immigrants. It is rather about living the reality rather than finance fantasy. The government must not add up to the debt list in helping of illegal immigrants. GOP Assemblyman Tim Donnelly shares the same view. He had filed a referendum prior to passing of the act with 505000 signatures (5 percent of the previous year’s gubernatorial votes) to stop the act. In practice, before he could do that Brown’s signature supporting the bill had 5000 volunteers willing to collect the community’s John Hancock’s. In fact 100,000 citizens signed appeal in opposition to the Act. Brown decided to fund the illegal immigrants instead of schools, pub safety and veterans. It is the legal Americans who should be prioritized over illegal immigrants.
In conclusion, it is still clear that the Dream Act is finance fantasy. The act is a touchy issue for most citizens and it should be attended with the much sensitivity in it. The legal citizens should be charged with fairness in the application of the Carl-Grant. The state government should not offer waiver of fees and financial aid to illegal immigrants when balancing the budget is a problem. This makes long the debt list and the Dream Act remains finance fantasy. The Dream Act will be a burden to the taxpayers who are the citizens. Would you pay more tax to fund illegal immigrants?
Types of evidence used
Statistical - Statistical evidence from the finance department indicating a shortage of funds.
Analogy – the U.S is not practicing good parenting.
Examples – President Obama’s heartfelt praise of Aleman, a young student who wants to be American.
References
Durbin, R., Sessions, J., & Congressional Digest Corporation. (2011). In The DREAM Act: Immigrant access to higher education - should Congress pass the Development, Relief, and Education of Alien Minors (DREAM) Act?Bethesda, MD: Congressional Digest Corp.
Rushall, H. (2011, October 17). Dream Act is finance fantasy | The Daily Aztec [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.thedailyaztec.com/2011/10/dream-act-is-finance-fantasy/
