Jerry Brown just signed the California Dream Act allowing undocumented immigrants who have graduated high school and enrolled in college to be eligible for state scholarships and financial aid beginning next July. Governor Brown clearly sees the hypocrisy in our immigration policies and is moving toward common sense laws that bring people into the "system". As hard as it is for others to realize, actions must be taken to help undocumented children. Many want to be here. Many want to contribute. And we need to help.
A key part of the Dream Act which is not often mentioned is that in order to be eligible for aid, students must be on a path to legalization. Meaning that if they are undocumented, they must apply for lawful immigration status. This helps bring people out of the shadows. Deporting the children of undocumented immigrants is not a realistic option. In an ideal world, there would be no illegal immigration. But that is just not the case. We have to work within the confines of existing conditions. And the California Dream Act can serve as a pillar for common sense immigration law.
Giving these kids an education will help not just them, but also tax payers in that with better opportunities for jobs these kids will be less likely to turn into financial burdens to the state. What is the alternative? Do you want a generation of tax payers or welfare recipients?
It is true that stricter parameters around this law could be enacted. Mainly that the citizenship process is completed prior to high school graduation so that the recipient of the aid is legal to work in the US after they finish college. However the fact is that immigration policy has to be practical. The existing situation is just not going to disappear. Arresting and deporting all illegals is not going to happen! Californians need to realize that solving the immigration problem takes times and is a gradual process. Citizens of the state should try and get behind the Dream Act.
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dreamactme California State Assembly member Gil Cedillo updates us on the DREAM Act: Unfortunately, Congress has stalled on... http://t.co/43Kyghe1
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IamPokemom RT @TheEndTimesNow: California: Sanctuary Cities, CA. DREAM Act, Illegal Benefits, and a $16 Billion Deficit http://t.co/4EDE0PXZ
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TheEndTimesNow California: Sanctuary Cities, CA. DREAM Act, Illegal Benefits, and a $16 Billion Deficit http://t.co/tzHX2LXr
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fernandoleer Writing a research report on the California Dream Act, that's due tomorrow. But it's not like I've had four months to do it or anything.
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TheEndTimesNow California: Sanctuary Cities, CA. DREAM Act, Illegal Benefits, and a $16 Billion Deficit http://t.co/4EDE0PXZ
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http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-dream-20110901,0,5365623.story
“It is not known how many undocumented students would be eligible for the aid. A Senate committee analysis estimated the bill’s cost at about $40 million. That includes $13 million for Cal Grants, which average about $4,500; up to $15 million in community college waivers; and $12 million in institutional aid from the University of California and California State University systems.”
http://egpnews.com/?p=29709
“On behalf of the California Student Aid Commission, I am requesting a correction to a quote attributed to me, Lori Nezhura, Legislative Director for the California Student Aid Commission, in the “Trying to Keep the Dream Alive” article posted on July 14, 2011 on EGPNews.com.
It is imperative that your readers be informed that the number of High School Entitlement Cal Grants and Transfer Entitlement Cal Grants are unlimited and available to all students meeting financial need, GPA, and other eligibility criteria. Therefore, if passed, Dream Act students will be able to receive these awards if they meet the same requirements.
Conversely, the number of Competitive Cal Grants is limited. However, the bill stipulates that Dream Act students may only receive one of these awards provided funds remain after all eligible non-AB 540 California residents are awarded.”
Most of AB 131 assigns free State aid based on Need. CA Community College does not require a minimum GPA (fee-tuition waivers and EOPS), while the rest only requires a 2.0-2.6 GPA. So, this is not the “Best and the Brightest” of Illegal Alien Students.
This is clearly Economic Discrimination against US Citizens, Legal Californian Residents, and Legal Immigrants who have seen their tuition rates rise dramatically while not being eligible or have seen their financial aid reduced. It is this discriminated population who ARE our FUTURE. Their only option is to take on crippling Loan Debt.
Also, with the heavy recruitment of out-of-state and Foreign Nationals who can pay nearly twice the in-state tuition rate to refund our defunct education system, Legal Californian Residents and Legal Immigrants will be “priced out” and “placed out” of THEIR American Dream, THEIR higher education.
And here’s how AB 131 does not help anyone:
http://www.600words.com/2011/10/ca-dream-act-misleads-all-including-its-beneficiaries.html
There are already 10,000 volunteers to start getting signatures with petitions. If there was $1Million to be spent, the petitions would be ready in one month. Donnelly is trying to get this done through social media and radio stations.
Here’s more info at:
https://www.facebook.com/standwithcalifornia
http://www.donnellyforassembly.com/
http://taxpayerrevolution.org/
http://stopab131.com/
https://www.facebook.com/StopAB131
Or you can order petitions by e-mail. Send your name, address, and the number of petitions requested to:
stopab131@gmail.com or to info@CAPSweb.org.
And here’s what will happen when AB 131 Illegal Alien Students get a free CA higher education at the expense of (mostly) Middle Class Legal CA Residents and Legal Immigrants and cannot be legally employed: They go back to their “home country”, even though “USA is the only home I know.”:
http://unioncity.patch.com/articles/acting-on-a-dream-a-look-into-the-life-of-an-undocumented-student-8bbc3666