LULAC and the DREAM Act
From: cheencheenvideo About This Video
I recorded this video two months ago, then got distracted with other projects. Now the DREAM Act is on the table again, so I thought it pertinent to come back to this video and edit it.
The Few, the Proud, the Military’s “Green Card” Soldiers
XicanoPwr, ¡Para Justicia y Libertad!, 21 September 2007
Let’s break down the numbers using the average that is being thrown around. According to the Department of Defense, 750,000 youths who benefit from the DREAM Act. However, Durbin states the high school dropout rate among undocumented immigrants is 50 percent. Therefore, that would mean, half of them are already unqualified, which now brings that number to roughly 350,000 undocumented immigrants who entered the United States before age 16 and graduated from high school would qualify. As Durbin noted, not all high school graduates will go on to college according to a study conducted by RAND. They found that roughly half of those students were “very likely to serve in the Armed Forces.” Since the military is eying about half of those students, we are now left with roughly about 25% of the original 100%, which means roughly 187,500 undocumented immigrants would choose college over the military option. Of those 25 percent, not everybody will automatically get to adjust from conditional to permanent legal resident status, they still have graduate from a two-year college or complete two years of a four-year degree before they can qualify baring any hurdles placed by the Sec of Education and their respective state. The current dropout rate during the first two years in college for immigrant students is between 50 to 68 percent. In the end, roughly 60,000 to 93,750 undocumented immigrants will be allowed to adjust from conditional to permanent legal resident status.
So in reality, who is really benefiting from this Act? Recently, Sen Durbin has agreed to drop the in-state tuition clause for the college option thereby eliminating the college option for thousands of undocumented immigrants. The DREAM Act’s education component is a wonderful dream, but as it stands, the only DREAM that is really being accomplished is the military’s DREAM – the few, the proud, the military’s Green Card Soldiers.
Like KYL-LIEBERMAN, the DREAM Act has been introduced as an amendment to the FY 2008 Defense Spending Bill. If you’re looking for a toll-free number to Congress here are a few: 800 828-0498, 800 614-2803 or 866 340-9281.
Updated 26 September:
The Kyl-Lieberman amendment was approved today by the Senate. See how your Senators voted here.