Can All Children DREAM?
In this May 21, 2013 file photo, supporters of the New York DREAM Act hold photos of undocumented students who are not eligible for college tuition assistance during a rally at the Capitol in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mike Groll, File)
RCEd Commentary
Wednesday at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., Republican presidential candidates will gather for their second debate. One issue that should come up is the 2 million “dreamers” -- young immigrants who came to America as children but are ineligible for federal support to attend college.
They include people like Jesus Casas, who graduated from a Los Angeles high school in 2007 with excellent grades and was accepted into several top universities. Sadly, he could not attend any of them because he was ineligible for financial aid. Today, Jesus works several jobs to pay for community college where he is training to be an electrical engineer.
They include Marvin Abrego, who is now a senior in high school in Los Angeles. He has already taken and passed several college-level courses and his SAT scores are well above the minimum level for college admission. Marvin dreams of becoming an engineer, but he must find a way to pay for college without the financial aid available to the rest of his graduating class.
The DREAM Act, which stands for Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors, would make people like Jesus and Marvin eligible for some federal loans and grants. It’s been kicking around Congress since 2001, but has yet to become law.
Instead, we have a patchwork of laws in about 20 states that allow some undocumented students to pay in-state tuition. But, with in-state tuition averaging more than $9,000 per year, state “Dream Acts” don’t do enough for undocumented immigrants. They still need the federal DREAM Act to get financing.
Several GOP presidential candidates come from Dream Act states including Chris Christie, Rick Perry, Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio and Carly Fiorina. They should talk about the positive impact those laws have had on the lives of young people in their states.
Wisconsin’s Gov. Scott Walker, on the other hand, repealed his state’s Dream Act in 2011 shortly after he took office. Ohio Gov. John Kasich does not have a state Dream Act, nor has he weighed in on the federal DREAM Act. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz opposes it, while front-runner Donald Trump simply says, “They must go.”
So here’s a substantive issue where the record varies and candidates appear to disagree. Given that they are debating in California, home to some 15 million Latinos, this is an opportunity for Republicans to show what they are willing to do to bring these dreamers into America’s mainstream. Will they default to rhetoric about closing borders and sending them home or will they speak thoughtfully and compassionately to young people like Marvin and Jesus?
This isn’t just a political issue. It’s an economic issue, as well. The Center for American Progress, a D.C. based think tank, estimates that passage of the DREAM Act would add $329 billion to the U.S. economy and create 1.4 million new jobs by 2030.
The debate over the DREAM Act triggers an even larger question: What is the proper role of the federal government in shaping policies around an issue that is directly tied to our long-term economic and democratic interests. It is clearly in our interest to help more young people earn a college degree.
Yet, the big push today, especially from the right, is for local control. Politicians would prefer wildly varying state laws and local practices instead of addressing pressing education issues in a fair and consistent way.
We cannot leave it to each state to set unique immigration policies. Why should a student in California qualify for in-state tuition, while a similar student in Wisconsin or Ohio doesn’t? Why shouldn’t the federal government help Jesus and Marvin and millions more like them finance their education?
The men and women running for President owe us answers to these critical questions and the journalists covering the election have a duty to press them.
This isn’t a partisan issue. As an American citizen, I want these immigrants to feel welcome in my country and to contribute to our collective success. As a public servant, I want them to believe that they will be the beneficiaries of our political process instead of the targets.
With this upcoming debate, Republicans can show whether they believe dreamers like Jesus and Marvin should find opportunities in the only country they have ever known or whether they should search for them elsewhere.
