Revisiting the Dream Act
The Senate is set to vote on the DREAM ACT today - a piece of legislation that would provide a 6-year path to legal status for eligible high school graduates who were brought to the U.S. more than 5 years ago. In order to qualify, these grads would have to demonstrate good moral character and either graduate from community college, complete two years towards a four-year degree, or serve at least two years in the U.S. military within 6 years of registering for the program. While it's a great piece of legislation, there are those that argue that its targeted application towards kids will leave out a large segment of the undocumented population.
Clearly, the application of the program will only be open to persons who have been in the U.S. at least 5 years and who have the means or the will to pursue a higher education or are willing to invest the time and effort into the military or community service. The argument has been made by activists in the Hispanic community that this excludes those who need the help the most - undocumented workers who must work to support their families. In addition, we must remember that the average time that an undocumented immigrant now living in South Carolina has spent in the U.S. is 3-4 years - therefore, there will be a smaller percentage of persons in our state who will benefit from the program. But I think in all the arguments as to the long term effect of this program, many people are loosing site of what this legislation does do - it helps undocumented young adults who were brought here as children and who have the drive, the will, and the stamina to pursue a college education to do so. So even if it does affect a smaller percentage of the population, these are the best and the brightest - and they deserve a chance to shine in the land of opportunity.
