The DREAM Act

Washington D.C. - Last week, more than fifty leading university professors urged Congress to pass the DREAM Act, noting that both their academic research and their work as teachers compelled them to speak out on behalf of the undocumented students whose future hangs in the balance over today's vote. Today, nearly 400 scholars from across the U.S. (including all 8 Ivy Leagues) have signed onto the letter.

These scholars, who have dedicated their professional lives to studying migration-related issues, noted:

We, a group of university professors who study immigration and the circumstances confronting these young people, and who have many of these students in our classes, believe passing the DREAM Act is the right thing to do for our nation's immediate interests and for our long term security... After decades of research it is clear that, by punishing the children of undocumented immigrants, this country is creating a disenfranchised group of young people cut off from the very mechanisms that would allow them to contribute to our economy and society ... It is especially troubling and wasteful that some 2.1 million unauthorized children, American in spirit but not in law, are now enrolled in U.S. schools but will not be able to lawfully gain employment at the end of their education.Read more...

Published On: Fri, Dec 17, 2010 | Download File

The DREAM Act Would Allow Undocumented Youth to Give Back to America

By Roberto G. Gonzales

Each year, tens of thousands of undocumented immigrant students graduate from American high schools and embark on uncertain futures.  Their inability to legally work and receive financial aid stalls, detours, and derails their educational and economic trajectories.  Most importantly, at any time, they can be deported to countries they barely know.  The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act is a federal bill aimed at providing immigration relief to these young people.  The passage of this bill would grant many undocumented youth access to legal residency and federal financial aid—thus removing legal and economic barriers to higher education and increasing their contributions to America and the likelihood of upward mobility. Read more...

Published On: Thu, Dec 02, 2010 | Download File

The DREAM Act—a popular proposal to provide legal status to undocumented youth who entered the U.S. as children, graduated from U.S. high schools, and attend college or enter the military—is the target of a smear campaign from anti-immigration hardliners.  According to them, passage of the DREAM Act would cheat native-born students out of opportunities.  This tired effort to pit immigrants and native-born—whether they are workers or students—against one another is not only destructive, but has no basis in fact.  Moreover, it ignores the economic benefits that come from legalizing a group of talented, hard-working individuals who want nothing more than to contribute to America and repay the country for the opportunities they’ve been given. Read more...

Published On: Tue, Nov 23, 2010 | Download File

There are an estimated 1.9 million undocumented children and young adults in the United States who might be eligible for legal status under the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM) Act.  For many of these young people, the United States is the only home they know and English is their first language.  Each year, tens of thousands of them graduate from primary or secondary school, often at the top of their classes.  They have the potential to be future doctors, nurses, teachers, and entrepreneurs, but they experience unique hurdles to achieving success in this country.  Through no fault of their own, their lack of status may prevent them from attending college or working legally.  The DREAM Act would provide an opportunity for them to live up to their full potential and make greater contributions to the U.S. economy and society. Read more...

Published On: Thu, Nov 18, 2010 | Download File

The plight of the DREAM Act students encapsulates many facets of today's immigration crisis. Caught in a system where there is little, if any, means for legalizing their status, smart, hard-working kids face an uncertain future because of their inability to continue their education, work, or join the military. The loss of potential, productivity, and hope for these individuals is also a loss for this country. The United States is missing out on talented workers and entrepreneurs, and is losing vital tax revenues and other economic contributions. While fixing this particular problem will hardly resolve the need for comprehensive immigration reform, it will unlock the door to the American dream for thousands of young people each year.Read more...

Published On: Thu, Sep 16, 2010 | Download File

This fact check provides answers to basic questions about the DREAM Act, from a brief legislative history to how and how many students would benefit. To download the PDF, scroll down to the bottom of this page. Read more...

Published On: Thu, Nov 18, 2010 | Download File

The political debate over undocumented immigrants in the United States has largely ignored the plight of undocumented children who, for the most part, have grown up and received much of their primary and secondary education in this country. A new report from the Immigration Policy Center by Roberto Gonzales,   Wasted Talent and Broken Dreams: The Lost Potential of Undocumented Students, makes clear that without a means to legalize their status, these children are seldom able to go on to college, cannot work legally in the United States, and therefore cannot put their educations to good use. Moreover, at any time, they can be deported to countries they barely know (www.ailf.org/ipc/infocus/WastedTalent.pdf). This wasted talent imposes financial and emotional costs not only on undocumented students themselves, but on the U.S. economy and U.S. society as a whole.

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Published On: Sat, Oct 18, 2008 | Download File

Answers to frequently asked questions about the DREAM Act. The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM Act) is bipartisan legislation that provides qualified undocumented students the opportunity to secure legal permanent status. Also, listen to the IPC telephonic press briefing on the DREAM Act with Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and Education Experts.

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Published On: Sat, Oct 18, 2008 | Download File