What is Wrong With the Dream Act - Essay Example

English The Dream Act Summary The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act provides a way in to direct citizenship for unlawful immigrants who came to the U.S. as minors. Introduced by Dick Durbin and Orrin Hatch in August 1, 2001, the DREAM act provides conditional permanent citizenship to certain immigrants. Pundits see it as a bill that promotes illegal immigration, injures the immigration system, and serves as an ‘amnesty program’. In contrast, its supporters argue that it presents a number of economic and social benefits.

Analysis Although the DREAM Act presents both benefits and drawbacks, depending on where one stands in the political spectrum, it is still a bad statutory policy. On the positive side, the Act perhaps advances national security because it provides a wider field for eligibility of military service. In addition, illegal immigrants have an opportunity to become lawful permanent residents, and in time citizens. It is an exaggeration of the benefits of the policy because it disregards trifling issues that may arise later in its enactment.

Depressingly, it affects immigration policies and the entire immigration system, besides being a costly process (Sands 642). ArgumentIt is virtually impossible to swear an oath for the United States when one is still theoretically a citizen of another country, in case the unlawful immigrants serve in the military. The DREAM Act affects the immigration system because lawful immigrant would face discrimination in enjoying invaluable benefits of being a citizen. It is bigoted because lawful immigrants take three years to gain citizenship wile unlawful immigrant only need two years to acquire citizenship.

This promotes unlawful immigration and destabilizes the immigration system. The Act benefits only a small population, which will enjoy education and work opportunities, while undermining the efforts of a vast majority of lawful immigrants and American citizens who are unemployed. Work CitedSands. What’s wrong with the DREAM Act?