Many children of illegal immigrants grow up to attend top colleges despite the odds stacked against them. Imagine living in fear of a knock on the door, or seeing your neighbor taken away in a raid. They lived a life of relative poverty. In many cases, they have excelled beyond that of our own children. If anyone is worthy of naturalized citizenship, it is these young Americans.
We shouldn't punish children for the so-called "crimes" of their parents. In this case, the only "crime" was the desire for a better life. How many of our ancestors risked everything to come here? What ever happened to "Give us your weak, your tired, your huddled masses"?
The US is the only home they've ever known. They live the American lifestyle, play American baseball, eat American food, hang out with American friends, and strive for the same illusion of the American Dream. They are as American as apple pie and baseball. Deporting these kids to a strange land for which they are unprepared is a gross violation of human rights—especially when they've done nothing at all to deserve it. Is our country not above that way thinking?
I am sure that 99% of my countrymen will agree that these young adults are as American as our own children. Opponents of the DREAM Act will say that by allowing these young adults to stay, we are rewarding the crime of the parents. The parents are punished for their "crime" (struggling for survival) when they see their sons and daughters being deported. This is a grossly—almost wickedly—perverse argument based on a flawed ideology. We don't send the son to prison when his father commits armed robbery. If the father gets away with murder, we don't punish him later by incarcerating his daughter. Are not the crimes of armed robbery and murder far worse than illegal immigration? To punish the parents who risked their lives to enter the land of promise is an incredibly warped idea. To punish the children—when we don't punish the children of murderers—is nothing short of evil. Yet this is the most common argument in favor of destroying the lives of these young Americans.
"The DREAM Act is a bipartisan proposal, which would create a pathway to citizenship for thousands of young students who were brought to the United States years ago as children. If Congress fails to act this year, another entire class of outstanding, law-abiding high school students will graduate without being able to plan for the future, and some will be removed from their homes to countries they barely know. This tragedy will cause America to lose a vital asset: an educated class of promising immigrant students who have demonstrated a commitment to hard work and a strong desire to be contributing members of our society."
Show your support for the DREAM Act by signing the petition at dreamact.com. It takes only a few seconds. If you care what happens to these young men and women, don't let this quick task get lost in your In Basket. Please join nearly 26,000 supporters and sign it now.
"If all unauthorized immigrants were removed from Washington, the state would lose $14.5 billion in economic activity, $6.4 billion in gross state product, and approximately 71,197 jobs, even accounting for adequate market adjustment time, according to a report by the Perryman Group." (Immigration Policy Center)
Resources:
- Immigration Policy Center
- Undocumented Students Action & Resource Network
- The Sins of the Fathers: The Children of Undocumented Immigrants Pay the Price
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