Editorial: Keeping the DREAM alive

Dan-el Padilla ’06, the salutatorian of his class, graduated from Princeton with a bright future ahead of him. He had the opportunity to study at Oxford University, after which he planned to enroll in a Ph.D. program in classics. But Padilla had emigrated with his parents from the Dominican Republic when he was four years old, and as an illegal immigrant, he risked not being readmitted to the United States if he left for Oxford. A bill now in Congress, the DREAM Act, would provide illegal immigrants like Padilla with a pathway to citizenship. President Tilghman recently voiced her support for this bill, and the Editorial Board urges Congress to pass this legislation, which so far has been unable to overcome filibusters.

The bill would allow illegal immigrants who arrived in the United States before the age of 16 and have been in the country for at least five years to apply for conditional legal residence, which would remain in effect for six years. During these six years, the immigrants must complete two years of college or serve for two years in the armed forces, after which they may become legal permanent residents and receive green cards, which allow them to travel and obtain legal employment. Permanent-resident status also allows immigrants to take steps toward full citizenship.

This legislation is important for several reasons. First, it is unfair to punish immigrant children for the actions of their parents. Furthermore, immigrants who earn a college degree under the bill would be able to apply for jobs that are commensurate with their education rather than working in the black market as most illegal immigrants do. Incentivizing immigrants to pursue higher education also helps the United States as a whole, since college graduates are, on average, more productive, enlarging the tax base.

Of course, there are drawbacks to the bill. Most obviously, it incentivizes illegal immigrants to bring their children to the United States in the hopes that their children will eventually achieve permanent resident status. Permanent residents can become citizens, allowing them to sponsor their immediate relatives’ permanent resident applications. Given this, the DREAM Act might be seen as a backdoor path to citizenship for a much larger group of the illegal immigrant population. Additionally, DREAM Act students are eligible for federal loan and work-study funds, resulting either in fewer funds available to American citizens or a heavier burden on government programs.

Despite these objections, the DREAM Act’s benefits outweigh its shortcomings. Under the current system, deserving students like Dan-el Padilla are routinely denied opportunities because of their parents’ actions. This bill brings the most deserving illegal immigrants out of the shadows and into the official economy, providing untold benefits to them and to society at large.