Extending an olive branch to undocumented individuals

Indiana Sen. Dick Lugar has sponsored a bill that would aid undocumented immigrants in becoming recognized by this country.

The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act was introduced last month and is co-sponsored by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. The bill specifically targets young illegal immigrants and offers them the chance to earn their legal status by completing college or participating in either national or public service programs.

Immigrants who have successfully completed high school would be given six years of temporary legal status to graduate from college or a trade school or serve in the military. Once finished with any of these options, they would then receive permanent legal status and could go on to attain citizenship.

The DREAM Act isn’t attempting to take a side in the debate on illegal immigrants. Many undocumented teenagers did not have a choice to come to America because they were so young. This bill allows them to take the many years they have spent in our country and start working within the system.

Unless opponents of this bill plan on figuring out a way to remove every illegal immigrant from this country, they need to come on board and start working with those attempting to become part of the system.

The bill is not a direct pipeline into the armed services, so there is no controversy there. Participants can enroll in college, though questions – for instance, how a person whose family has probably worked under minimum wage could afford it – spring to mind. If the bill is passed, we anticipate scholarships and financial aid would be offered by outside organizations to help some of these young adults.

The bill makes the right call in refusing to sponsor their education while legal residents of this country struggle to pay for their college education. Trade school will not only teach them vital job skills, but let them earn money as well.

The DREAM Act is a very good deal for people who have no legal standing in our country. Their alternative, to not participate, is maintaining their status quo.


<b>Dissent</b>

Many liberal groups are willing to praise any initiative that purports to offer immigrants a hand. Sadly, the left seems less concerned with examining the fairness of the naturalization process.

Nationally, we turn a blind eye as illegal immigrants do the hard labor, often earning less than minimum wage. They work as farm hands, domestic laborers and meat packers. At the same time, our primary and secondary public schools largely have failed to prepare their children for higher education, a hallmark of social mobility.

We exploit an entire class of people who have no alternative to a lifetime of “unskilled,” underpaid labor. DREAM’s emphasis on awarding citizenship to those who have pursued post-secondary education suggests it might erase some of those class lines.

Unfortunately, most illegal immigrants won’t really have a chance at college until we enhance their basic education and heavily subsidize their university studies. Thus, the most realistic path DREAM offers aspiring citizens is through military service.

Failing to provide other accessible paths to citizenship risks creating a permanent class of undocumented, unorganized workers whose only chance at securing legal protections in the United States is to put their lives on the line in combat.

– Nick Wallace