DACA, an administrative relief from deportation for many young adult immigrants stands as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. The whole purpose of this relief is to protect eligible young undocumented immigrant from deportation and being sent back to their country. For one, being in the United States legally is not as hard as those who are here undocumented and struggle with getting their visa or getting the right documents to be in the United States legally. For many people, as well as young students who have come from Mexico or any other foreign country illegally is harder than American citizens because they don’t have the same opportunities as many American Citizens just because of their lack of legal status. “Dreamers” as well as many other immigrants should have the same hopes and dreams, and should be able to accomplish them just like anyone else in the U.S. In my perspective and speaking for many other voices, I argue that it is moral that Dreamers should stay in the U.S. and the federal government should provide a path to any illegal immigrant that may have the right to be here legally and helping them find a way to become U.S. citizens.
To begin with, there are many pros just as there are many cons in a why the federal government should allow “Dreamers” and illegal immigrants in the U.S. access in having a citizenship and legal papers. DREAMers exemplify the best of American ideals, such as hard work, perseverance, and the desire to contribute to the Nation’s workforce, economy, and civic life (Mahatmya, Duhita.) Being illegally undocumented in the U.S. is an everyday struggle, not only for the people, but for the ones in the Senate trying to fight with the government to pass the certainty of the bill referred to as the DREAM Act and/or and immigration reform law to help the ones in need.
It all started as early as the 1970s, immigration laws and enforcement efforts being catalyzed by changing the demographics of immigrants coming into the U.S., making the DREAM Act be introduced in 2001, as a targeted solution toward comprehensive immigration reform (Mahatmya). In July 0f 2015, four state university systems offered in-state tuition to many unauthorized immigrant students, in which it allowed for these students to access higher education (Pfleger). The DREAM Act is known as the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, a proposed act established to put in the effort for the path to citizenship for some children of illegal immigrants as well as to eliminate federal provisions that penalize states to grant undocumented students in-state tuition and a path towards residency. In 2006, Arizona voters brought enough votes to pass Proposition 300, a proposition in which forced undocumented students to pay out-of-state tuition and made them ineligible for federal, state, and university-based scholarships (Vega, Silvia). Luckily, Vega met up with a community corporation, Chicanos Por La Causa, this corporation launched the American Dream Fund helped the students in Phoenix finance their education. Due to the help of this community corporation, immigration up to this day is the issue most talked about from the government in the U.S. people from all over the world.
According to Britteny Pfleger, a high school diploma isn’t sufficient anymore, the government now looks for a higher education for the cause of fighting for a sustainable job. The Court not only has obtained towards DACA students and protecting them, but unfairly the Court has put in thought that just because the “lack of English speaking-ability” and poverty, they should become locked into the socioeconomic class (Pfleger). At least ninety-three percent of the population that is under the DACA program have at least a high school degree and at least forty-three percent have or attend college or have graduated with a college degree (Kerwin, Donald.) The government have always brought up the topic of people from many foreign countries immigrating into the U.S. being a threat to Americans, stealing their jobs, being criminals, etc., but they don’t know that the ones that try to cross over here not only look for a better future for themselves, but for their families and children.
To apply and be eligible to become a Dreamer, the Dream Act does come with its requirements: Be undocumented, young recipient has entered the U.S. before the age of 18, has been in the U.S. at least four years since the date of the Dream Act’s enactment, have stayed in the U.S. until the day they apply, have earned some education, clean record such as no criminal offenses, pass a medical exam and background check. The DREAM Act is one of the few hopes they have to stay in the U.S., but according to NILC, the Trump administration announced that the program would be coming to an end as of October 5, 2017. The DREAM Act of 2017 would permit permanent residents to obtain permanent resident status, provide a pathway to full U.S. citizenship, and help the young immigrants have a more open availability into getting into college and being eligible for in -state tuition and financial aid. The DACA students in all kinds of being beneficial, don’t have as many benefits and opportunities as American citizens do. For example, applying for DACA and being actually eligible to receive it, does not mean the certain person has permanent residency in the U.S. DACA students have to renew their visa for them to be able to prevent deportation. When it comes to the elections, these undocumented students as well as with hundreds and thousands of undocumented families don’t necessarily have the opportunity to vote and not only do they not have the opportunity to vote, but for many of them, their income has been cut due to their legal status, race, and even color of skin.
Many families have faced and up to this day still do, face discrimination, racism and endless stress due to their legal status. This constant fear is ingrained so deeply in the consciousness of undocumented people that some have accepted it as natural; people have gotten so “used to being treated this way” (Mercado-Thornton, Rebecca.) The DACA program being one of the most affectionate programs in the U.S., has become both rhetorically and harmful due to their policies and values. Many students, particularly students of color or different race, have a difficult time dealing with challenges such as an educational opportunity and within both inside and outside in a schoolhouse. In moments like these, those students face harassment, bullying, and/or teasing in public places such as public transportation, restaurants, schools, etc. The discrimination and harmful voices that are thrown at many of these undocumented students are mostly due to the idea that many of those students come to the U.S. to work for themselves and their families in order to have a successful future and be able to achieve what a lot of their parents/families weren’t able to when they were younger.
DACA is the only solution for many undocumented immigrant students in order for them to be able to stay in the U.S. Former President Donald J. Trump brought to the attention to about 800,000 undocumented immigrant students and their families that he would end the DACA policy making it for the students to leave it all to Congress, the only solution to save the program (Shavar Jeffries). Hundreds and thousands lose an uncertain future every day and about 200,000 citizen children whose parents have been protected under the policy of DACA, will fear constantly for their parents’ safety and even may lose access to services if their parents avoid interactions with governmental agencies, as well as meetings with school teachers and administration, due to the fear of deportation (Jeffries).
The Dream act would help both the Dreamers themselves and the U.S. economic growth by allowing legalized workers all sorts of jobs and helping the tax base expand. Legalizing this act would be a win situation for both because not only does it help the immigrants themselves and their mental health of their legal status, but it would help the U.S. increase greatly in the productivity of tax revenue as of $15.2 billion of GDP (Hsin). In July 0f 2015, four state university systems offered in-state tuition to many unauthorized immigrant students, in which it allowed for these students to access higher education (Pfleger).
Dreamers struggle and fear every day of their lives not knowing what will happen next, if they will go home to their families after work or if at that instant an unexpected visit might appear upon them. In an interview from Inside Higher ED, Elizabeth Redden interviewed the coordinator of CSU Fullerton’s resource center for Dreamers, Henoc Preciado. In a specific part of his interview, he specifically states, “Being a college student is already such a difficult thing in and of itself…adding on the additional challenge of worrying about loved ones and worrying about one’s future on a very regular basis.” This specific center Preciado has taken place in is one of the many few identity-based resource centers from the Department of Diversity Initiatives and Resource Centers This specific center publicly and freely offers a living-room space for Dreamers to hang out and organize support groups, social events, and even a memorable graduation ceremony for the Dreamers and their families. About 900 undocumented immigrant students enrolled this past year and about 700,000 of those undocumented students have the opportunity to be benefited with being protected by DACA (Inside Higher ED.)
The least advantaged group at the moment should have to be said that it is the DACA students in all sorts of matter. Factors such as low wage salary, medical insurance, the right to vote, racism, all contribute to them because they have to live with this everyday of their lives without having the DREAM Act being legally passed in our Constitution. Medical insurance is sometimes included in college tuitions if it is needed, but it is also neglected to many of them and don’t have the accessibility to medicine or medical procedures. Many Dreamers don’t have the ability to have medical insurance to cover their check ups, doctor appointments, etc., and have to pay out of their own pocket, both impacting them and the economy, making it worse for the DACA recipients and better for the U.S. economy.
They also don’t have the opportunity to travel outside the U.S. and are seen as a national resource instead of being seen as what they really are, a family oriented resource coming into our country to strive for a better future and provide professional excellence. DACA students and families are always in the search for better jobs to help them out in many aspects such as to help them fit for their education, long-term career goals and better working conditions, but either way, students lose jobs everyday for the same exact reason trying to provide for their living expenses and college tuitions. These people are just as normal as any other human being living in the U.S. and are always in the lookout in many ways in how they can become a change in the world, instead of making our society much more of a struggle than it already is. The wage salary for these students has surprisingly increased over the years and has made such a stronger and powerful impact on the economy. Many Dreamers have accomplished in being employed into their dream jobs, about 70,500 DREAM Act recipients both work and create jobs for others (Kerwin, Donald). Not only do these Dreamers work on bettering for their futures and families, they strive every day, and many get up before sunrise to provide a piece of bread on their home table for dinner.
Every DACA student coming into the U.S. illegally fine the true meaning of what it feels like to work hard and strive for what they want in life. As much as they have many disadvantages, they have many opportunities that their immigrant families that are ineligible to become a Dreamer do not have. Dreamers do have a very powerful say in today’s society because not only are they helping the U.S., they are working for the U.S. making it better for the federal government. The power and the endeavor enthusiasm they have for their families is unexplainable. These kids, for the fact that they have future goals as many American citizens in the U.sS., they also have families, an existent artifact that the former President Donald J. Trump does not understand and comprehend. Fighting with an army as powerful as the republican former president has to be one of the biggest struggles the House of Representatives has to be dealing with, especially because President Trump himself has tried to take away the DREAM Act.
Any person being in the U.S. is here by choice and because they were brought by their parents as children. Being accused as criminals and false statements said to them such as “go back to your country” or “people like you are taking away American citizens jobs” are statements that shouldn’t even be brought up to people that only come to the U.S. for the better for themselves and their futures. These kids that have grown up in the U.S. do not take away other people's jobs, they work hard for these kind of jobs, they just keep working hard to gain a better job position and wage salary.
To finalize this contrary question for many people, DACA students daily go through many situations in their daily lives in order to succeed in this cruel world of ours that we live in, even with an act that has not yet to be passed. It can be concluded that immigration starting at a low point and a topic that was not as mentioned, to becoming the most talked about topic and difficult issues in our world as of today. As of today, laws are passed daily, but nothing that has to do with the DREAM Act of an immigration reform, the reform that many of the undocumented students and immigrants are in need at such a crisis point in the U.S., not only for themselves, but also in thinking of their kids futures, their parents/families, current income/wealth, and their necessities in an everyday life. These reasons backup my choice in why I believe the federal government should provide a path to citizenship to current former Dreamers, in all choice these kids will keep on succeeding today, tomorrow, and in the future, they are not doing any sort of harm to anyone, just living the daily life like any other person. Today’s laws can’t and won’t stop any undocumented young student from achieving their goals, going to school, and working for what they want in the future, as long as deportation, or the removal of the Dream Act does not interfere with their daily life basis, it is a moral choice.