New Hope for the DREAM Act

I am an illegal immigrant and I understand why so many American Citizens are upset over this issue. I also want you to put yourself in my shoes for a minute? I came to the United States when I was a year old. I graduated from high school with honor, at the same time I did about 400 hours of community work in my neighborhood. My dream was to attend UCLA yet that dream came to an end when I realized I did not qualify for financial aid because of my legal status. I am currently attending a California State University and I pay tuition working full time. I am majoring in Social Work because I want to be able to help those in my community who are most in need. I have never been in trouble with the law in any way. I pay taxes! My parents have never asked the government for any help. WHY AM I TREATED LIKE A CRIMINAL? I have no future in the country were I was born. I consider myself an American. I LOVE THIS COUNTRY!!! I believe people should become educated about the illegal immigrants living in America. Not everyone is bad. I urge everyone to think about my case because there are many others in my situation.
THANK YOU ALL AND THANK YOU AMERICA FOR FREEDOM OF SPEECH

Is there a reason why there cannot be a DREAM Act for all Americans and not just children of illegals (citizens, nonetheless), but children of people screwed out of their retirement, savings, investments and now homes by corporate criminals like CEO of Enron, Bear Stearns, etc, etc....

Hey, Bill,
I'm tempted to harp on your for using capital letters while MISUSING the there/their distinction that all English speaking people should know about. Are you secretly an illegal alien . . . ?

Just kidding. I think your 6 years in the corps is an interesting idea, but it's also problematic in that it feeds the military industrial complex fresh meat, and would also make it easier for our leaders to fight unpopular wars by preventing US citizens from "voting with their feet" to get out of Iraq by not showing up for recruitment.

However, I think the basic premise you are onto is brilliant, and I'm not saying that sarcastically. What if we made citizenship contingent on serving the United States in some substantive manner? This could take the form of a 2 or 3-year stint in Americorps or enrolling in TeachForAmerica or some like organization (most illegal immigrants would presumably be native Spanish speakers capable of serving in the public school system). Several years of service in a capacity like that is more than most Americans will serve in their lifetimes.

Do you think that a service stint like that would be enough to atone for the heinous crime of having been born somewhere else?
-MJ

I know in Germany the system they used to have was that everyone had to spend a year in the military or a year doing public service after they finished school. I don't think that would be a bad way for the U.S. to go.

Jonathan Stein completely "forgot" to note that the DA lets illegal aliens take college discounts and slots from U.S. citizens.

It's a direct attack on U.S. citizenship, and no one who cares about the fundamental structure of our political system should support it.

I am an illegal immigrant and I understand why so many American Citizens are upset over this issue. I also want you to put yourself in my shoes for a minute… I came to the United States when I was a year old. I graduated from high school with honor, at the same time I did about 400 hours of community work in my neighborhood. My dream was to attend UCLA yet that dream came to an end when I realized I did not qualify for financial aid because of my legal status. I am currently attending a California State University and I pay tuition working full time. I am majoring in Social Work because I want to be able to help those in my community who are most in need. I have never been in trouble with the law in any way. I pay taxes! My parents have never asked the government for any help. WHY AM I TREATED LIKE A CRIMINAL? I have no future in the country were I was born. I consider myself an American. I LOVE THIS COUNTRY!!! I believe people should become educated about the illegal immigrants living in America. Not everyone is bad. I urge everyone to think about my case because there are many others in my situation.
THANK YOU ALL AND THANK YOU AMERICA FOR FREEDOM OF SPEECH

this dream act is for kids that came here because their parents made them. they had no say in the matter, tell me if you ever did not follow what your parents told you when you were 10 or 15 years old for that matter. this kids came here because they didn't have a choice. some of them have lived here for 10 years and are probably smarter and have bigger dreams than most of us. this kids deserve a chance to become legal here and have the opportunity of their own. As for the parents, they should be deported because they knew what they were doing. but the kids are probably so used to living here that sending them back to their country will be not do anything more than ruin their lives and create hate for america in their countries.

i have read almost all the comments on this page and i have to say that it just makes me sad that some people are so ignorant and immature about this situation. i do see how citizens can be angry about immigrants being here, after all this is not our home country. people need to understand that this means absolutely everything to illegal students, we honestly have no other way, and its sad that people can still be this racist. you CITIZENS do understand that this country was made out of immigrants and the ONLY actual citizens are the Native Americans right? so why do you guys think that you own the place? i have to say that we the student who were brought here as children had no choice and just like other kids our age, we have worked hard in some cases even harder just to be in school and have jobs. we are dying for things that you guys take for granted, like JOBS.. i mean seriously how many of you out there just keep making excuses for not having jobs, all you do is bitch and moan about how we are taking your jobs and your tax money, but what you don't realize is that we pay taxes just like you do and even after not having ss#'s we still manage to have jobs and pay for the bills. and in my case have so many better things than some of you out there have, and i'm not saying that to brag, its just so you know that after so many obstacles we still manage to be very well off in a country were we have no identity.

Bill and everyone else,

As I read the comments on this page, I can't help but to feel pity.

First of all, I doubt, Bill, that you are educated. I'm about to graduate from UT and i can tell you that if you went to college, you didn't learn a thing because you are incredibly ignorant.

Steal your taxes? Take your schools? As many have stated, illegal immigrants DO pay taxes. You also stated that we take your jobs, well, yea we (immigrants) do. We take your jobs because we work hard. Instead of begging on the streets, we work. But now we are not only working in the fields, we are working in offices, not taking a "white man" job, but taking an available job that we are better qualified for. If you don't want immigrants taking your job, then work hard!

You think you have more patriotism than immigrants? Growing up in a country that you know will give you opportunities that you might never have had creates a real appreciation and love for that country.

Why are you so patriotic? You call yourself an American yet you embody ignorance, intolerance, and hatred. Do you consider yourself a good American? Is that what America stands for for you?

People need to realize that when immigrants start having more rights, the situation will improve for ALL of America. If immigrants are able to work legitimately, then they will have to be paid at least minimum for that job. If they are getting paid fairer, their will be less competition for jobs based on anything other than merit. This means that in the end, everyone gets paid more. Sometimes a white person will not get paid what they deserve, and sometimes even get replaced by someone who is willing to work for less. These people are immigrants that sometimes don't have papers so they take a job regardless of pay, but if they have rights, then they will have the right for minimum pay. This will leave the company no alternative but to raise wages. Raised wages means improved living conditions for all the working class which means increased opportunities. With increased possibilities you have less people that need government help, which means that money can be used for other things like health care or higher education.

The country needs any kind of reform that would allow it's inhabitants to succeed. When the people succeed, the country succeeds.

Long live America :)

The reality is that the DREAM act will cost taxpayers fifty million dollars annually.

HOWERVER after doing some research

If the DREAM act passes in the long run the undocumented student, after obtaining his/her degree will repay that tax money in a few decades.

Not only would the DREAM act increase tax revenues but also reduce government expenses. In a study conducted by RAND in 1999 it was estimated tat "an average thirty year old Mexican immigrant woman [college educated] will pay $ 5,300 more in taxes and cost $ 3,900 less in criminal justice and welfare expenses" than if she were a high school dropout. "The increase fiscal contribution would repay the requred educational inestment [50 million dollars] within a few years...provide a profit to taxpayers for several decades" (nilc.org).

As a result those fifty million dollars taxpayers will invest will not only be repaid but even moe money will be coming into the economy.

Next time Bill do some research before you start judging and prevent yourself from coming out as ignorant.