Oct. 24, 2007

DREAM Act Vote on Tap

The U.S. Senate is set to take a procedural vote today that could clear the way for a floor vote on the long-stalled Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act by week’s end. In a news conference Tuesday, proponents of the measure — which would provide a pathway to permanent residency for undocumented students who complete two years of college or military service — offered new research arguing that those states that have relaxed the barriers to higher education on their own have not faced the negative consequences that opponents generally predict.

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In addition to providing the permanent residency pathway for students who came into the country illegally before age 16 and have lived in the country for five years, the DREAM Act would for the first time give undocumented students access to federal loans and work study programs (but not federal grants). Assistant Majority Leader Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), the bill’s sponsor, said Tuesday that the latest version of the DREAM Act differs from earlier versions in that it would not repeal a 1996 federal law interpreted by many as prohibiting the extension of in-state tuition benefits to undocumented students — ostensibly one of the concessions that Durbin said he’d never wanted to make.

However, in an analysis of 10 states that have gone ahead and expanded eligibility for in-state tuition to undocumented students anyway, Roberto G. Gonzales, a sociology Ph.D. candidate at the University of California at Irvine, found that, contrary to the concerns of opponents, the states “have not experienced a large influx of new immigrant students that ‘displaces’ native-born students or added financial burdens on their educational systems. In fact, these measures tend to increase school revenues by bringing in tuition from students who otherwise would not be in college.”

In the new Immigration Policy Center publication, “Wasted Talent and Broken Dreams: The Lost Potential of Undocumented Students,” Gonzales writes that while Texas, for instance, saw about a 10-fold increase in the number of undocumented public college students in the three years after the legislature expanded in-state tuition eligibility in 2001, they still represent a minute percentage of total college enrollment.

In raw numbers, while the number of undocumented students at public colleges climbed from 393 in 2001 to 3,972 in 2004 (three quarters of whom attended community colleges), they made up only 0.36 percent of the more than 1 million students at Texas’ public institutions.

Gonzales finds that in other states offering in-state tuition benefits, the numbers of undocumented students taking advantage likewise remain low relative to total higher education participation. In fall 2005, 221 students in the country illegally paid the in-state tuition rate at public colleges throughout Kansas, for example. Also in 2005, California had an estimated 1,620 undocumented students enrolled in the University of California and California State University systems as California residents (as an important caveat, students at community colleges, the most common destination for undocumented students, aren’t counted in that number).

In his study, Gonzales estimates that the DREAM Act could benefit 360,000 high school graduates and provide an incentive to 715,000 other students between the ages of 5 and 17 to finish high school. It’s estimated that about 65,000 undocumented students graduate each year, and only 5 to 10 percent of these students attend college.

Again, the revised DREAM Act no longer includes a provision on tuition rates, but does attempt to lower the financial barriers by making (some) federal aid available and addressing the ultimate exclusion of these students from the workforce.

“Our country needs these people. These are the kinds of people who have made America and will continue to make America great,” Robert J. Birgeneau, chancellor of the University of California at Berkeley, said at the Tuesday news conference in support of the DREAM Act.

“This is a humane investment, but it’s also a wise economic investment that we need to guarantee the continuing preeminence of the American economy.”

Yet, in an issue brief released Tuesday, a Heritage Foundation senior research fellow argues that “Clothing the bill as a ‘humanitarian’ gesture is disingenuous.”

“This bill, regardless of the humanitarian goals claimed by its supporters, would further undermine efforts to enforce immigration laws and border security. It would make the task of securing the U.S.-Mexican border more difficult, and it would lead to higher costs for the state and local governments that bear much of the fiscal burden of unlawful presence,” writes James Jay Carafano, assistant director of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies and senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation.

Durbin said the outcome of today’s procedural vote on whether to fast track a Senate decision on the DREAM Act — essentially limiting the time for debating the bill to 30 hours — is uncertain.

“I need 60 votes tomorrow at 11:30 in Washington,” he said Tuesday afternoon, indicating that while he has commitments from eight Republican leaders, three or four Democrats weren’t on board at that point.

“When you do the math, you see that puts us somewhere in the mid-50s,” although, he added, “Absenteeism, and changes of heart, these things happen.”

A version of the DREAM Act originally was included in the Senate’s comprehensive immigration reform proposal that failed this spring. Durbin subsequently planned to attach the bill as an amendment to the Department of Defense authorization bill in September, but was stopped after groups in favor of restricting immigration quickly mobilized to reject the plan. Despite three successful committee votes, the DREAM act — first introduced in 2001 — has stalled in Congress for several sessions now.

“It is not the best time to bring it up because of the comprehensive immigration bill’s fate just a few months ago and the heated debate in some parts of our country about immigration,” Durbin said, “but I felt a special obligation to try.”

— Elizabeth Redden

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Comments

Define ‘large’

” .. contrary to the concerns of opponents, the states “have not experienced a large influx of new immigrant students that ‘displaces’ native-born students ..”

Of course. And I’m not living from paycheck-to-paycheck. And Berkeley accepts every student who applies. And when the hard-data contradicts the null hypothesis, data is never ’smoothed.’

Russ, at 6:05 am EDT on October 24, 2007

Be it 1 person or 1,000,000 people we can never reward illegal behavior.

Get in line, fill out the right paper work.

It’s not very hard...

Bob, at 8:10 am EDT on October 24, 2007

Dream Act

What are they thinking? Why would you take a large group of non-eligible citizens who are (for the most part) coming from low income families and make them eligible for student loans and not grants?????? Of course, if they default, how effective will skip-tracing be? What about the default rate consequence to the university?

I am not sure where I stand on the whole issue of giving tax payer dollars to assist those who are in this country illegally, but if we are going to do that, it should be in the form of grants as well. If not, these students would have to rely on institutional discounts or go into heavy debt.

Ellis, at 9:30 am EDT on October 24, 2007

Ruinous unfunded mandate

This proposed act has more holes in it than any sieve yet developed. To suggest it is a very bad hoax would give other tomfoolery a bad name. Beyond rewarding felons it has the ready potential of undermining course rigor and content provided at colleges and universities and their operations overall.

Accommodation of students today requires a host of programs and costly add-ons individual colleges will need to fund from ever decreasing budgets. In addition, the colleges and universities are held accountable for student progress, e.g., graduation rates, that likely would be substantially diminished by the wholesale entrance of this group, especially among the community colleges who are typically required to provide open enrollment. Thus, this act is clearly an unfunded mandate that takes scarce resources from already strapped colleges and universities to provide for felons. Moreover, there are no provisions that any illegal who is educated at public expense will be required to either remain in the US to repay their loans or subsidies or enhance the overall culture, society or workforce.

If our intent is to educate felons, allow us to provide for programs in which US children might be diverted from crime and unemployment to productivity. If our intent is to provide education for illegals then send them back and save substantial taxpayer dollars by underwriting their education in their own country.

Michael Fisher, Director of Institutional Research, at 9:30 am EDT on October 24, 2007

Robbing Peter to pay Paul

I agree that this is not the message we want to send. At a time when state budgets are strained to pay for education, why are we still willing to pay for undocumented students? It has become p.c. to use “undocumented” instead of “illegal"- but guess what- being here without legal status is illegal. I don’t feel that two years of college (which is generally paid for by student aid) is equal to two years in the military either. Somehow that just doesn’t compare. I am willing to help these students get a higher education, paid for by the U.S. Military for service to our country, if they wish to become citizens, but I wonder how many would feel that it is worth it? When you do the math, we are losing ground here. Children of illegal immigrants born here are U.S. citizens- and now children of illegal immigrants who have had us pay for their education all through high school, and now 2 years of college, are also on the fast track to citizenship? How long will it be before these new citizens are able to vote to just open the borders between the U.S. and Mexico- and just consider it one big country?Just a thought.

Another Voice, Assistant Professor, at 9:30 am EDT on October 24, 2007

Why would it increase when it is a program at the state level. Would you do something, that while legal in a state, that would expose you to the federal immigration system(weak as it currently has been made by vote hungry politicians). If we make it legal on a federal level, including all the bene’s like Stafford lns, Pell grants, etc., then I can forsee an increase. Who wouldn’t take advantage of that to obtain a degree?

dman, at 9:30 am EDT on October 24, 2007

People vs policies

I understand Durbin’s conflicting values, of wanting to uphold immigration laws, on the one hand, while also feeling concern for people who find themselves facing a dream that can not be met for reasons they have no influence over. Let me share the story of one girl I know....in her senior year of High school, someone got mad at her father, an illegal immigrant, and reported him. Until that point, she had no idea that they were illegal immigrants....she had been in the US since the age of 3. Her parents were deported, and she has not seen them since. She is now a junior in college, and a model leader. The Dream Act would allow her to complete her education and remain in the only country she has ever known. Otherwise, she will be deported next year, to a country and culture that are completely foreign to her.I share Durbin conflicted values.....I am very concerned about our open borders, but I also feel for those who simply want to continue living in the country they consider their own.

Wayne, at 9:40 am EDT on October 24, 2007

Ignorance is not bliss

This is a great proposal, one that rewards not illegal immigration but hard work and dedication to this country. Obviously, any child who entered this country before the age of 16 didn’t have much of a choice. And if he/she has lived here that long with parents who could not obtain the right paperwork, the student needs a mechanism for becoming documented, not a mechanism for being pegged “illegal.”

The onus cannot be solely on the undocumented immigrant. If we have permitted undocumented workers and families to live here for years, we knew they were here. The onus is on us for not enforcing our own laws, and most certainly, the onus is not on a child.

If congress would at least pass a worker program that would allow undocumented immigrants to file for citizenship in conjunction with the already passed ICE program, within our borders, the rest would take care of itself—with the help of the DREAM Act, too.

Stepping up diplomatic relations with Mexico and Central America would also help. I am not saying to offer other countries money. Frankly, I don’t think we can afford to do that, thanks to the white collar corruption and war our own nation has encouraged. But we CAN do something to prevent this from happening more and prevent our nearest brothers and sisters from suffering in their own countries and in ours.

No one wants to be here illegally. No one wants wants to be the object of resentment and hate. Undocumented immigrants put up with it for a reason, and part of that reason is we have encouraged them to do it by our national negligence.

kgotthardt, at 10:05 am EDT on October 24, 2007

dream big

i think its a brilliant idea to have this dream act become a reality, it will enhance our society with a group off driven ambitious people who will only contribute in a positive way back to society...... What is the big f****** deal. live and let live. Born Americans are to lazy not all off them but their is an astonishing number that settle for their wellfare checks and live in bliss and pure ignorance.....lets see your try to get them off their asses to join the army, go to college, deliver some food, plant berries,manicure hedges or become nannies..... Please!!!!!!!!!!! illegall immigranys are the backbones off day to day living they make it possible for us to live the life style we enjoy.

nadine, at 10:05 am EDT on October 24, 2007

Tough call, but I’d say no.

I am from the mind set of “send them all back.” That is not going to happen. While I think this is mostly a ploy by the Democrats to gain Hispanic votes in the upcoming election, I can see it may have a benefit.

Do we want a growing group of adults uneducated? That’s not good for any of us. What will this group do to better the country? If we can flip this into a positive, of educated, employed, law abiding tax payers, I may change my opinion. It’s a leap of faith that this would be the end result. Nice story if it works out that way.

For now I see it as a political ploy that will just cost me and other taxpayers more money. Plus this could open up a new flood of illegals that come in under the cover of wanting to go to college in the US. The burden of housing a large infux of students will raise college cost. It will hurt the people that can barely afford to send their kids to college as it is, the middle class.

I’d rather see us fix the problem of getting inner city kids out of the poverty cycle before we turn aid to people that aren’t supposed to be here.

Plus, where is all the money going to come from? With Bush’s war and Hillary’s health care plan, what will be left? We can only hope this would work as well as ACG / Smart if enacted.

Bill, at 12:05 pm EDT on October 24, 2007

Inconvenient fact

” .. This is a great proposal, one that rewards not illegal immigration but hard work and dedication to this country ..”

There are more than 1 million people, in the U.S. and overseas, who obeyed U.S. immigration laws and are awaiting action by ICE on their legal applications for U.S. citizenship.

What about their children? What about them?

Y’know, contrary to other countries, U.S. income taxes are paid without direct government intervention. What if millions of legal Americans decided to “follow their hearts” and stop paying? How about them apples?

Russ, at 12:05 pm EDT on October 24, 2007

DREAM Act

I am a financial aid administrator and NASFAA does NOT speak for me on this issue. I am adamantly opposed to this act for all of the reasons stated above and more. Add administrative chaos to the list. How the heck are they going to word the questions on the FAFSA for this? How are we going to verify that the answers are accurate? If we do have to implement an onerous verification system, how will we know the documentation is real and not forged? Even if we get through those hurdles, then we have to revise our packaging policies, build edits into the system, reprogram everything, and train our staff in a whole new set of complicated rules and hope that they ask the rights questions when counseling students. And we aren’t talking about a handful of students like with the eligible Pacific Islanders. Sorry NASFAA, but I will writing to my senators to urge a big “NO” vote on this one.

BH, at 12:10 pm EDT on October 24, 2007

Your wrong

California is one of the states that offers in state tuition the first to let you all know was the great Republican state of Texas. 70% of students who take advantage of the law are actually citizes whos parents live out of state and would otherwise be ineligible for in-state tuition or graduate or undergrad students who left the state to study for awhile and then came back. The rest are students who are fully undocumented or in the process. ‘GETTING IN LINE IS NOT AS EASY AT IT SOUNDS. if you process started when you were little you won’t be eligible for the in state tuition if its still going. The cases being reviewed right now are from 1994. Its an 18year waiting period. Many of these students were victims of fraud. AND I REALLY DISAGREE THAT THE CURRICULUM OR ANYTHING HAS TO CHANGE FOR THEM. THEY ARE GIVEN THE CHANCE TO COMPETE EQUALLY. THEY ARE NOT GIVEN ANY SPECIAL TREATMENT IN REGARDS TO THEIR GRADES. MANY ANTI-IMMIGRANT GROUPS ARE SPREADING LIES ABOUT THE BILL. IN TERMS OF HOW THE INFORMATION CAN BE VERIFIED CALIFORNIA FOUND A VERY SIMPLE WAY. OUR TRANSCRIPTS STRAIGHT FROM OUR SCHOOLS.THEY CAN’T LIE.

lis, students at ucsb, at 1:50 pm EDT on October 24, 2007

The cart before the horse

How about instead of “giving” them in state tuition and Stafford Loans based on their “innocence", we require them to join the military, and add Americorp to the list for four years before we “give” them anything else.

We have been “giving” to them for years already with elementary and secondary education, etc. I say lets have them EARN it before we give it to them.

R.F., at 2:55 pm EDT on October 24, 2007

No Human Being is Illegal

Mr. Fisher, academically speaking, an undocumented immigrant who has attended our (often ineffective) public schools is just as prepared to enter college as any other student, foreign or national. Furthermore, undocumented students’ families pay taxes via sales tax and other local taxes. Many even file taxes with the IRS.

Furthermore, undocumented immigrants are hardly felons unless they have committed a violent crime (in which case yes, those folks need to go). Living here without papers is a civil offense, not a criminal offense. Even people who get behind on their taxes do not go to jail unless they are bookies or drug dealer types. And as you might know, there are eviction laws that protect even those who don’t pay their rent.

As someone else on this board points out, an educated, healthy population is viable to the opposite, and we already enough of that opposite in every community.

Nadine, while I agree there are many lazy citizens, it is illogical to assume the U.S. does not have a strong working class. But your point is well taken: the working class has grown from immigration and belief in the American dream. When we do not provide a worker program for our immigrants and we allow them to work for less than average wages without health benefits and with the potential to be blackmailed, we do a great disservice to them and ourselves by violating human rights. All workers deserve protection, no matter what their ethnic backgrounds.

A strong worker program would ensure immigrants are receiving better treatment, that our country and states are being paid the right amount of taxes, and that we could focus more on preventing increased influx through the borders. We MUST address the immigrant population we already have before we allow others in. This means we invest in those who have worked hard as viable members of the community and we clean out violent criminals, gang leaders, and drug lords. And yes, the undocumented population will have to pay some of this bill by paying taxes, as many of them already have for years. And yes, those corporations that hire undocumented workers need to pay more than others. I am a firm believer in corporate sponsorship.

We need more immigration professionals to do it. Part of the reason this has gone on is that there are simply not enough people in our departments to process paperwork that has been in the works for decades! Yes, this means increased taxes, but not for the individual—for big businesses, especially those who have been allowed to live off the backs of ALL of us, including immigrants.

I don’t care if “undocumented” is considered P.C. We are talking about a piece of paper and taxes here, not some hateful killing spree like we have in wartime. We are talking about people.

No human being is illegal.

kgotthardt, at 5:05 pm EDT on October 24, 2007

No tax-evader is illegal?

” .. We are talking about a piece of paper ..”

How odd — that’s what many tax-evaders say when they are contacted by the authorities and threatened with jail sentences.

Would it be “P.C.” to advocate their “liberation” from “pieces of paper?” I wonder ..

Russ, at 5:50 pm EDT on October 24, 2007

I’m willing to bet that there are countless career advisors and others on college and university campuses that would be willing to help undocumented students take their US university educations back to their country of origin for meaningful,impactful careers.

Kate, at 6:10 pm EDT on October 24, 2007

The emotional slogan “No human being is illegal” shows a remarkable lack of understanding. Illegal aliens have entered and reside in the country illegally: That entry and continued presence are illegal.

JBM, at 8:45 pm EDT on October 24, 2007

Just a thought...

So NASFAA was urging all members to storm the hill again... No surprises there. Based on the last “we must storm the hill” I think this too has more to do with lenders seeing a way to increase eligibility and make more loans as opposed to the “they have a DREAM” crapp. After all, didn’t the rate differential that was cut lower the profits a bit? I would tend to believe thet in order to make up the loss, you’d have to sell more widgets or loans. Go NASFAA! Way to represent.

AD, at 8:50 am EDT on October 25, 2007

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