If you can look a poor child in the eye and tell her that she can't attend the college of her choice -- a university to which her hard work and exceptional grades earned her admission -- then you might believe that immigration reform is not the answer.
But, if you experience what I do each day, then you would quickly recognize the need for relief for undocumented students.
The sooner, the better.
I encounter many undocumented students in my role as chairman of the LEAP Academy Charter School in the impoverished city of Camden, New Jersey. Our school sets high goals for students from pre-K through high school and makes strong academic demands, all in the name of helping each child achieve college placement and study for more than just a job, but a career of their own making. For these kids, education represents a chance to emerge from a culture of poverty into a career of their dreams.
Unfortunately there are restrictions on the dreams of undocumented students, roadblocks that may compromise their true potential.
I had the difficult conversation with an undocumented student -- to tell her that the Ivy League school to which she was admitted will not offer a financial aid package because she is not a legal U.S. resident.
That student eventually went to college -- a state university, though, not an Ivy League institution. Her tuition and board was paid for with private scholarship money, not federal aid. That student has been admitted to graduate medical school and again is confronted with the same challenge.
It is unfair. Yet it is fixable.
Could an Ivy League education improve that student's life and career outlook significantly?
Sadly, we'll never find out.
The most difficult challenge that college-ready undocumented students confront is restricted access to financial support for college tuition. In addition to employment restrictions, they are ineligible for federal and state aid and have limited scholarship opportunities.
The DREAM (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) Act -- which would increase the financial resources available to undocumented students -- remains in limbo despite support from President Obama, members of his Cabinet, the business community and organized labor. Presidents and Chancellors at more than 73 colleges and universities across the U.S. have also voiced enthusiastic support for the bill.
The DREAM Act, if passed, could grant as many as 2.1 million students access to legal residency and limited forms of federal financial aid. Its passage is the most important political issue for the more than 48 million Latinos living in this country.
Our undocumented student did not choose to violate the law. In so many cases, students like her were brought to the U.S. as babies by their parents. In almost every case, these students love the United States -- the only country they have ever really known -- as much as any of us.
Denying opportunities to the children of undocumented immigrants creates a bitter and disenchanted group of young people who are unable to take advantage of the vehicles that would allow them to contribute to our economy and society.
The DREAM Act needs to be reintroduced, passed and implemented without delay. Preferably before I have to look another promising student in the eye to tell her that her immigration status is the reason her Ivy League dreams are being denied.
Follow Gloria Bonilla Santiago on Twitter: www.twitter.com/GloriaBSantiago
The are not undocumented, they are I L L E G A L. Look up the term so you understand its meaning.
The US cannot continue to support the poor of other nations. We can barely take care of our own poor.
Do you realize how much these illegals cost the US tax payers? How much they cost schools?
The DREAM Act needs to be tossed out along with every politician who supports it.
Liberals have been saying crazy enough things for long enough that it makes sense to them. If liberals just cut out the craziest stuff, they'd sweep the elections, because most Independents would vote Democrat. But they just push for such crazy left policies, and show no care whatsoever about taxpayer money that they turn all the independents off.
All applicants must meet the following requirements:
1. Must have no arrests and no convictions of any kind.
2. Must have at least a 3.0 GPA throughout their academic life. Must take hard science/math/language courses - no basket weaving.
3. Must pay for the full cost of their amnesty out of pocket - not one penny of taxpayer funding.
4. Must face a lifetime ban on daisy chaining anyone else here.
5. Must agree to never have another amnesty - we've had 7 already and that's plenty.
6. If they choose service must serve 4 years honorably. The military is under NO obligation to take any dreamer over anyone else. No special treatment.
7. Must agree to a lifetime ban on all means tested welfare programs.
8. Must be less than 25 now and brought here before 14.
9. Must be able to prove fully when they came and that they have never left this country.
That would pass. That is what the supporters say the dream act is. That would only allow a few thousand (at best) to get amnesty and that is NOT the goal of the open borders folks.
So Mexico and its southern neighbors have absolutely NO colleges or universities at all. Wow. Perhaps that crime against latinos should be the subject of a hard-hitting investigative piece on this site.
oil gas and coal, Two atomic bombs were dropped on japan about 65 years ago during world war two. Since then japan has recoverd from the war and developed its economy.
It has many large auto manufacturers including Toyota which is the largest auto manufacturer
in the world. Japan represents less than 2 % of the world population but has 10 of the
worlds 50 largest pharmceutical companies. The japanese have the fastest super
computer in the world. Japan is not an economic failure like mexico.
South Korea has about one twentieth of the land of mexico, It was at war 60 years ago.
Hundreds of thousands of south koreans died in the war, Since the war south korea
has rebuilt its economy and is a wealthy country. South Korea has one of the largest
technology companies in the world, Samsung.
manfacturer in the world. Samsung is also one of the largest smartphone and tablet computer makers. Intel is the largest silicon chip maker in the world #1. Hyundai is a south korean auto maker.
It has only been in business 35 years and already is building a car that
competes with the most expensive Lexus. The Hyundai Equus sells for about $65000
These two countries developed their ecomomies so whats wrong with mexico.
The mexican govt and people have failed to develop their economy.
They are a victims of themselves. Mexico could be a rich country if it were
an asian or european country. Most european countries were involved in world war 2
and had to rebuild there countries after the war. London was bombed 76 nights
in a row by the german air force destroying a million buildings,
These sames european countries rank in the top 25 economies in the world for
per capita GDP.