Dream Act Pros And Cons

The DREAM Act has not been without critics. Many critics think the DREAM Act will translate to amnesty for people who illegally enter this country (Rivera; Barron). Others claim it will increase crime or other illegal activities (Rivera; Mahoney; Barron; Kim), though there is not much compelling evidence for that claim (Perez). Many critics claim that the influx of immigrants will burden America’s economy as these illegal immigrants take advantage of public assistance (Mahoney; Barron). These individuals claim that the benefits provided by the DREAM Act to the illegal immigrants have negative effects on the country or otherwise overly favour the immigrants and their children. However, the purpose of this paper is to argue that the DREAM Act, while obviously benefitting the children of illegal immigrants, also benefits the United States in terms of economics, education, and security. As mentioned earlier, many critics claim that the DREAM Act represents a drain on America’s economy. Contrary to these critics, the DREAM Act in fact helps strength the American economy. One way in which it does this is by making the United States “more competitive in the global economy” (Miranda) by infusing the work force with skilled, competent, and often bi- or multi-lingual individuals. Furthermore, the DREAM Act can reduce the deficit and increase …show more content…
But America also benefits educationally through the DREAM Act. By giving these minors the chance to complete their education and “live up to their fullest potential” the DREAM Act enables these individuals to complete their college educations, which adds to the country’s attempt to have the highest number of college graduates in the world by the year 2020 (Miranda). This allows them to pursue careers in business and other fields, of course; however, it also allows them to pursue careers in scholarship and research which enrich and enhance academia