The Pros And Cons Of The Dream Act

The Dream Act is a bipartisan legislation and would permit certain immigrant students who have grown up in the United States to apply for temporary legal status and to go on to obtain permanent legal status and become a U.S. citizen if they attend college or the United States military. The Dream Act would also eliminate a federal provision that penalizes states that provide in-state tuition without regard to immigration status. Those eligible for the Dream Act would be illegal immigrants who came to the United States at age fifteen or younger as least five years before the date of the bill’s enactment. They would also need to have good moral character since entering in the U.S. in order to qualify for conditional permanent resident status upon a college acceptance, graduation …show more content…
or higher (“Immigration Reform”). This act caused political controversy in which opponents questioned what would happen with the status of parents and siblings of those affected by the dream act, and if they would eventually be able to become legal citizens. They also felt that illegal immigrants should not be rewarded, because it would take away from the merit and incentive for immigrants who come to the country legally (“Controversy over the Dream Act”). Many people did not want illegal immigrants to be able to gain citizenship by going to college or joining the military and felt that it created an unfair balance. In reality the Dream Act is not a reward but a chance of opportunity for illegal immigrants who have been in America for majority of their lives. Most of them came to America as young children and therefore should be granted citizenship because they worked hard and are able to go to college. This act does not allow them to get citizenship for any reason but because they are achieving higher