By Guadalupe Carmona —
A path of hope was opened to many young undocumented students and it comes in the form of the DREAM (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) act. This law would allow undocumented students to have a legal status in the country and pursue their careers paths successfully without facing the risk of deportation. You have to remember that there are certain requirements to be eligible to apply.
Eligibility Requirements
• To be no older than 30 years
• To have arrived to the US before the age of 16 and have resided in the country for 5 or more years continuous years.
• The applicant must have graduated from High School, obtained a GED or currently be enrolled in College, a Trade School or another type of Institution for Higher Learning.
• To continue to reside in the US
• Have a clean criminal record/ (people who do not are immediately ineligible to apply)
Sources: http://dreamact.info/, www.immigrationpolicy.org/issues/DREAM-Act, www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis
The DREAM Act is legislative bi-partition proposal first introduced in the Senate on August 1, 2001 by Dick Durbin and Orrin Hatch. It has gone through several stages of revision and reintroduction. It has been a long, rough road to passage this law. On June 15, 2012, President Barack Obama announced that his administration would stop deporting young undocumented immigrants who match certain criteria previously proposed under the DREAM ACT. What speaks well of this legislation as it would boost up the economy and reduce deficit by about $1.4 billion over the 2011-2020 period. This would also increase projected deficits by more than $5 billion in at least one of the four consecutive 10-year periods starting in 2021 according to a December 2010 report by the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation. Basically by giving these young teens access to easier access to colleges, funds and work permits it would be an immensely beneficial and also radical measure that would pay off every penny put into it. It’s a chain effect, these young individuals get a better education, which leads to better positions, more jobs being created, and a major contribution to the economy.
To many of you, this is the piece of hope that was keeping you from reaching your full potential. All you have to do is strive to do your best because there are those of you out there who are looking to take advantage of this great opportunity. A word of advice is that many of you may be seniors, so remember not to mess up this last year. For the lower classmen, remember that High School is never a time to slack off, and now that you have this opportunity stay out of trouble in and outside of school, and remain focused. For all of those feeling helpless; dropping out it’s no longer an option, do this for yourself and your future!
For those taking the chance at this OPPORTUNITY (There is no better word for it) be cautious. Remember to always seek a lawyer before getting anything done. There are scammers who will keep you from your dreams and the money you are willing to invest for pursuing them! Inform your parents, and inform yourself, don’t be fooled by individuals. Only seek information from legal sites like the official US immigration service’s website (http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis).
