The DREAM Act needs widespread support and the voice of President Hart.
During spring break, students with a dream will come out of the shadows.
March 10 is declared “National Coming Out of the Shadows Day” by the Immigrant and Youth Justice League for undocumented youth who want to claim their United States citizenship with or without immigration papers.
Though the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act failed in the Senate in a December 2010 55-41 vote, it would have allowed undocumented students who entered the U.S. before age 16 an opportunity to attain a green card.
But as Angelo Fichera reports in “Derailed DREAM Act fuels student voice for immigration,” Page 1, there is something missing from the support system undocumented students like Pamela Salazar need at Temple.
President Ann Weaver Hart’s recognition has been silent regarding the rights for students at the university she oversees. These students could lose out on an education every person in the U.S. has a right to.
President Rebecca Chopp of Swarthmore College and President Amy Gutmann of the University of Pennsylvania both wrote letters in support of the DREAM Act approximately a year ago, before the DREAM Act was shot down in the Senate. Hart made no such effort, despite the presence of students who could have benefited from the passage of the act at Temple.
However, we cite our own faults at The Temple News. We have not made the DREAM Act a relevant topic in the pages of our newspaper or online, nor have we pressured Hart to voice support.
But the probability of the DREAM Act being re-introduced within the next few years is high. The bill fell by eight votes in the Senate in 2007, and by 2010, it fell by just five.
While it is not fair to undocumented immigrants to have to continually wait to gain access to jobs or an education they deserve, the DREAM Act will see the Senate floor again.
Hart should be active now. The members of Temple for a DREAM and other undocumented students at the university deserve to be backed by their president.
“Right now these young people have no legal rights, although they did not enter the United States by their own choosing,” Gutmann wrote in a letter to Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), then-Senator Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) and former State Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.). “This bill’s intention is … to ensure that no child in America is denied their dream of a better life if they are willing to work for it.”
It seems lofty in Gutmann’s eloquent words, but it is simply practical for this bill to be re-enacted. By that time, Hart should have already made a statement voicing her support for students.
“While it is not fair to undocumented immigrants to have to continually wait to gain access to jobs or an education they deserve, the DREAM Act will see the Senate floor again”
– Please explain to me how exactly they deserve this? They, nor their parents, who entered the country illegally pay federal income tax, yet you want them to recieve tax payer funded subsidization? I’m all for allowing them a chance to earn citizenship- But the keyword is earn. Join the army, peace corp, some kind of national service, and make them work for it.
Give me a break with the liberal guilt trips about dehumanizing people because they aren’t getting a handout.
Help fight illegal immigration. Visit the websites for NumbersUSA and ALIPAC. We need federal E-Verify legislation.
Reply to Seth,
I am a native born, U.S. citizen, and I support the Dream Act, this country was founded on immigration, in all reality none of us really are entitled to this land, just look at our history, nonetheless we are here and as for illegal immigrants not paying taxes, I think you need to look more closely at the economics of this country, illegal immigrants contribute more in taxes than most natural born Americans, why do you think through an issue in the United States, illegal immigration has not been totally cracked down upon and that is because our total economy will suffer if the U.S. just said, get rid off all illegal immigrants, that would mean a lose of millions of dollars of tax revenue to the government, come-on they are not stupid… but everyone has a right to education, a right to freedom, and a right to better themselves as well as their families which is the very foundation this nation was built on…
Reply to Mark,
I would love to see some emperical evidence that illegal immigrants provide a net benefit to our society. Politicians (mostly liberals) support illegal immigration or at least turn a blind eye since their constituent base is largely composed minorities or hispanics. To be fair, I doubt anyone in our Congress will seriously challenge illegal immigration since it will result in certain political suicide. And sure, every legal, tax paying citizen is entitled to the aforementioned benefits you described and most certainly not at the expense of illegal immigrants. Have you taken a serious look at our public schools lately? Why is the most powerful nation on earth ranked so low on education?
Twenty years from now, when our country turns in a third world dump and we are surpassed by China or India, you’ll be singing a different tune when your children find it difficult to better their life because we squandered are national resources on progressive ideals.
it is soo funny because actually most people are from england ireland and other countries so they are immgrants maybe not them but their ancestry yes and now they all want to get rid of immigrants?? if it wasnt for immigrants the united states would be land owned by the ”native americans”
“it is soo funny because actually most people are from england ireland and other countries so they are immgrants maybe not them but their ancestry yes and now they all want to get rid of immigrants?? if it wasnt for immigrants the united states would be land owned by the ”native americans”
This old tired argument…what on earth does what happened hundreds of years ago have to do with what we do today? Are you saying we should just let in anyone who wants to come to this country and we should have no borders or immigration laws at all? Now that is funny. Every other country on earth has procedures and laws for entering their country, what makes you think that the United States should not? Try illegally entering Canada, Australia or any other country and tell them that since their country was founded on immigrants they must let you in also and see what the reaction would be. Also, most people don’t want to get rid of immigrants, they want to get rid of illegal aliens – very big difference!