With the increased integration among various nations, globalization has enhanced
cohesion and positive relationship in the entire world. This notion asserts that the world has
become interdependent in all the spectrum of politics, economics, trade and social-cultural
aspects among other things. In the light of this, education is an integral unit that enhances the
continuum of global inter-relationship and cohesion. People migrate from all the spheres of the
world to go and quench their educational thirst and improve their knowledge and skills from
other countries other than their parent nations (Glenn 1). The United States of America is well
renowned for harboring an array of people who are interested in extracting education and skills
from various learning institutions that are found in the country. The country receives an influx of
people whose main aim is to acquire education, better their lives, and improve the social
sustainability (Galassi 79). As a result, the government felt infuriated by this fact and decided to
constitute a law providing regulations to the issue of immigration by minors.
Therefore, the Dream Act is an acronym of Development, Relief, and Education for Alien
Minors Act that seeks to provide regulations to the U.S immigrants. The proposed bill is on the
discussion stage awaiting approval from the government. Conversely, the United States boasts of
supporting the “American Dream” that intends to better people’s lives in spite of their
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background. On the contrary, the “Dream Act” deems to suppress the well-intended “American
Dream” if enacted to a law. Personally, I oppose the enactment of this bill due to a number of
reasons that will are depicted in this essay. These reasons relate to the economic, social, legal,
and the political environment among others. Therefore, this argumentative essay provides
personal observations regarding the ills and cons bound to arise if the “Dream Act” becomes a
law.
According to Olivas, contradicting policies especially the ones that concern students have
created ideology conflict for the past two decades (323). Immigration and residency issues have
attracted a lot of interest concerning the government moves to control them. To begin with, it is
important to understand clearly, what the Dream Act is even before looking at the consequences
attributed to the act. This act provides regulatory limitations about permanent residency in the
United States for immigrants, who graduate from U.S high schools, arrived in U.S as minors, and
the ones who lived in the country for five years continuously prior to the bill enactment (Galassi
79). It provides help to undocumented immigrants to attend to state schools and get financial aid,
but it does not provide a leeway to citizenship.
In the light of this, the bill has an economic letdown if at all it passes because it intends to
provide financial aid to the immigrants. The moment the government agrees to provide any
financial aid abruptly, it always applies the monetary policy to balance its books. In simpler
terms, the tax rate will heighten to meet the rising demand of accommodating the immigrants.
This translates to overburdening the residents by increasing the taxation rates to cover the deficit.
According to the U.S Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services estimates that there are
more than 100, 000 illegal aliens excluding the ones enrolled in military services and other
institutions (Glenn 21). Consequently, for every immigrant who attends a public institution, the
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taxpayers will pay around $6000 annually. This will overcrowd the country’s budget hence
creating adverse effects that might take cause. For example, the country may be forced to lean to
external borrowing to balance the deficit. Similarly, the cost of production will face a rising trend
affecting the economic status of the country (Lee 231). The rate of savings is bound to decrease
as people will have little money at their disposal to consume, save and invest. Ultimately, the
cost of living standards will propel subjecting the residents into dire poverty. The cost of up
keeping people who are not working in return is quite high, it is deemed to subject the United
States economic status.
People may visit the United States with young children for temporal residency. These
children will join school in the country; their lives will be accustomed to that of the United
States. Unfortunately, while they are continuing with their studies, the government decides to
deport their entire family paralyzing the children’s education and their dream to pursue a career.
This is because the “Dream Act” does not require that an immigrant should complete any degree
as a condition of amnesty, but an equivalent of only two years in college (Miranda 8).This will
contradict with the government assertion of providing aid to any children to pursue their dream.
The victim’s social lives will be affected since they will have formed a connection with their
current environment.
Arguably, the Dream Act sympathizers allege that this program will earn the country
more resources in the long run. They argue that the beneficiaries will earn better and pay more in
taxes in the coming years; hence, the economy will strive (Barrow 44). On the contrary, there is
no empirical evidence to proof that these people will get satisfactory employment. The rate of the
job absorption is facing a downward trend; hence, they might become jobless in the future.
Additionally, in case the act passes, more illegal aliens will reel over the country, the budget will
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become unmanageable. On the other hand, this act is completely unfair to some of the
immigrants who are loyal to the country’s state and federal law. There are considerations that
immigrants get so that they can be granted the United States citizenship in accordance to the law.
It requires people to stay in the country for quite a while, uphold morality, or get a spouse to
secure nationality. Unfortunately, the Dream Act will place all the immigrants under the same
threshold of holding people into amnesty. As a result, it will be acting unfairly to the people who
have met all the considerations and complied with the rules and regulations of obtaining
citizenship.Glenn states that the Dream Act will warrant illegal immigrants the same rights as the
legal aliens obtain, which is very unfair (23). For example, they will obtain the rights to sponsor
their parents and extended family members to migrate to the United States.
Overpopulation is a critical plague that is ailing the entire world. The rate of people is
increasing on a daily basis causing a threat to the natural environment and other living species.
Effects such as global warming, conflicts and wars, deforestation, diminishing of the water
supply, and some of the chronic diseases are attributed to the overpopulation. The scholars argue
that the migration is one of the main factors that cause overcrowding in some regions. Countries
such as the United States of America experience a high rate of immigration as people visit to
seek habitable livelihood (Lee 231). The Dream Act aims at making the lives of illegal
immigrants habitable and this will encourage an invasion of other aliens seeking solace in the
country. As a result, the number of people will surpass the available resources bringing dire
consequences. This act will add the number of people who depend on the government resources
such as health care, education, social security, and development to millions while they do not pay
taxes. This will lead to overcrowding in the cities raising the probability of traffic jams and
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development of shanties and slums. The social effects aligned with overpopulation are quite
several; for example, it is a health hazard which leads to poor quality of life.
The Dream Act will also provide a loophole to crime and fraudulent deals in the United
States. Providing a habitable home for illegal alien will make the borders be porous increasing
the chances of conducting criminal activities. The probability of human and drug traffickers
entering the country is very high when that bill is enacted. This is because it will be difficult to
differentiate people who are well intended and the ones who hold malicious ideas. These
criminals may exploit the amnesty policy to get access to the country through the open border
setting. Consequently, issues such as terrorism, drug trafficking, illegal weapon will become the
order of the day in the country. On a political perspective, the Dream Act is meant to shape and
define the United States political arena in the near future (Campo-Flores 37). The legislation of
the act about illegal aliens will be used to draw support for the candidates who enabled their
registration. It will be difficult for the beneficiaries to refuse to support the lawmakers or
president who helped them to penetrate to the country. This will be used as a political tool to
enable politicians to shape how electorates votes in their respective positions.
America is a diverse country that holds a variety of people with different cultural
backgrounds, norms, and beliefs. They all integrate together harmoniously exchanging their
values and beliefs. However, the increased influx of aliens who holds permanent residency risks
eroding the initial American culture (Galassi 79). When different people overcrowd in the United
States, they will tend to influence the socio-cultural aspects of the habitant community. As a
result, they will influence the host community with their culture, eroding the initial values and
norms (Miranda 8). On the other hand, the act does not provide a citizenship or a guaranteed
permanent residency assurance. Therefore, the beneficiaries are still on the crossroad because
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they are not aware whether their registration can be terminated at one time. In fact, the current
government led by Barrack Obama advocates for the enactment of the Dream Act whiles the
opposition resists this move. Therefore, may be the opposition might take over the leadership in
the next election scrapping off this law (Barrow 44). As a result, the beneficiaries will be in dire
problem; hence, this bill has a lot of uncertainty.
Those proposing this bill blurt out that they are protecting the life of young children who
were ferried by their parents. They plead that children should not be punished because of their
parents’ ignorance; hence, they require the act for survival. However, the bill has left out an
array of considerations that make it imprecise to pass as a law. This is because the so-called
children are people aged 15 to 29 years. This will encourage more people to bring their children
under the amnesty policy and benefit from resources that they do not pay taxes for them to
benefit (Galassi 79). It is quite evident that this program will be a burden to the government’s
budget. It will cost taxpayers to pay extra cash to finance the initiative. Alternatively, the
government will be forced to cut allocations of other programs so that the Dream Act can be
financed. This will be a big blow to the government’s expenditure and revenue allocation. It will
affect their scale of preference on the matters that require first priority; hence, loosing public
trust.
The act has numerous social impacts including the uncertainty in liquidation of the act.
However, the act will be beneficial to the scholars who are thinking of completing studies and
looking for employment in the same country (Campo-Flores 36). Unfortunately, the act will
provide cover to those who have malicious intentions, criminals, among other wrong doers.
Some states such as Maryland have already passed a bill while others are reluctant and waiting
for more insights. Therefore, based on the elaborate disadvantages mentioned in this essay,
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personally, I denounce the enactment of the Dream Act until it puts every aspect into
consideration.
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Works Cited
Barrow, Clyde W., et al. "Passing the MA DREAM Act 2013: What are the effects on
applications received and enrollment at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth?."
(2012).
Campo-Flores, Arian.“Keeping Obama to His Word.”Newsweek 156.23 (2010): 36-38.
Academic Search Complete.EBSCO.Web. 17 Jan. 2012.
Galassi, Jennifer. "Dare to Dream-A Review of the Development, Relief, and Education for
Alien Minors (Dream) Act." Chicano-Latino L. Rev. 24 (2003): 79.
Glenn, Evelyn Nakano. "Constructing Citizenship Exclusion, Subordination, and
Resistance." American sociological review 76.1 (2011): 1-24.
Groseclose, Rachael. “Pursuit of the American Dream.”Journal of College Admission 206
(2010): 2. Academic Search Complete.EBSCO.Web. 17 Jan. 2012.
Lee, Youngro. "To Dream or Not to Dream: A Cost-Benefit Analysis of the Development,
Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act." Cornell JL and Pub.Pol'y 16
(2006): 231.
Miranda, Maria Eugenia. "Dream Act, part II." Diverse Issues in Higher Education 28.6 (2011):
8.
Olivas, Michael A. "IIRIRA, the Dream Act, and undocumented college student
residency." Immigr.&Nat'lity L. Rev. 25 (2004): 323.