4. The Obama administration’s new immigration policy means we don’t need the Dream Act.
Obama’s new policy grants deserving youth a kind of second-class citizenship. The greater stability that the Dream Act would provide, including a path to full citizenship, would be better.
For the Dream generation, life is fraught with mental and emotional stress. As its members reach the end of high school, they are often unable to participate in the rites of passage that their friends experience — learning to drive, working part time and applying to college. Many choose not to share their secret with their friends or teachers, separating themselves from critical support networks. To help their parents, many turn to low-wage jobs, risking deportation. Learning to be “illegal” takes its toll.
In more than 10 years of research, I’ve met hundreds of Dreamers across the country. I’ve talked with dozens who suffer from chronic headaches, ulcers, difficulty sleeping and trouble getting out of bed. Last November, an undocumented high school senior in South Texas took his life. “I’ve realized that I have no chance in becoming a civil engineer the way I’ve always dreamed of here,” he wrote in a goodbye note.
5. The Dream generation can get in line, join the military or marry a U.S. citizen.
Immigration law makes the pathways to citizenship very rocky. Many noncitizens do not qualify for refugee status or asylum. Many do not have a family member who is a U.S. citizen and can petition for them. For those who do, quotas are so small that it can take decades to make it to the front of the line. Employer sponsorship is also difficult, as too few visas are available for skilled workers, and visas for unskilled workers are limited to 5,000 per year. And the price tag of immigration is high — filing fees, medical examinations and lawyers can cost thousands.
Meanwhile, marrying a U.S. citizen is a common path to legal status, but it’s not a guarantee. There are many exceptions. If the noncitizen entered the country illegally, for example, a marriage will not result in permanent residency. And while noncitizens can enlist in the military, they must have a valid alien registration card.
People who come here illegally do so because there’s no easy legal path. For most, there is no line to join.
Roberto G. Gonzales is an assistant professor at the University of Chicago. He is writing a book on undocumented immigrant youth and their difficult transitions to adulthood.
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