Why the anti immigration movement fears the DREAM Act

Just yesterday I watched a video of the Trail of Dreams walkers as they joined a NAACP protest of a KKK rally. The white robes said the same ugly old things they always say; onlookers shook their heads in dismay. The hate and the ignorance went hand in hand with the tired old arguments these anti-immigration and nativist groups trot out to justify their racist crusade. And as usual they fall flat in the face of reality.
To claim that immigrants, documented or not, are guilty of having a free ride on the back of taxpayers is asinine. Immigrants pay sales taxes property taxes and regular taxes; the undocumented simply do not use a large majority of the public services they help fund. The same holds for crime waves on undocumented immigrant; in actuality they are more likely to be victimized and not seek help from the police. Lastly, to assert that they steal jobs from “real Americans” is false as well - in many cases they create more jobs and even rescue communities from economic downturn.

DREAM Act eligible students represent the absolute opposite of every stereotype ever dredged up by anti immigrant wingnuts .Remember, when we talk about DREAM Act students, we are talking about young students who exhibit the best of what we expect from all our children: academic success and the desire to succeed even further. They have defied the odds and many accomplish the highest honors. They are not responsible for their undocumented status, having come to the US with their parents as children; to attempt to punish them for something that was entirely out of their hands smacks of persecution and racism. There is ample proof of the benefits that a community and the nation as well stand to reap when the handicap of undocumented status is removed from these students and they are permitted to fully participate and contribute to society. And so DREAMers are the nativists’ worst nightmare, and the best argument for defeating this newest wave of anti immigrant sentiment that is sweeping our country.
We need to ask people to check their real-life experiences against the negative rhetoric they hear on the media. Americans need to answer these questions: have you personally lost a job, been victimized by, or been disadvantaged by an undocumented person? The honest answer will uniformly be NO. Look around you America, rip the scales of ignorance from your eyes. Demand that Congress stop holding the lives of thousands of student hostage and take the first step to fix our broken immigration system by passing the DREAM Act.

A Reaction

I have been appalled at the quantity of vitriol and misinformation that is apparent in all media outlets regarding the efforts to increase support for DREAM Act and immigration reform. Not surprised, mind you, but sincerely taken aback. I know it is common practice to blame others for whatever current wrong ails the country, especially if those others speak funny and look different. Common, and ignorant, yet has not stopped us from committing that particular wrong time and again throughout our history.
Every single immigrant group has been a target for discrimination and outright abuse, condoned by our government. From the 19th century to the present there has been public and active opposition to each successive incoming group. We had anti Germans, anti Irish, anti Chinese, anti Italian, anti Polish, anti Jews, anti Japanese groups. Yet as a nation we overcame those nativist fits and those groups are now firmly part of the American melting pot. This latest and virulent outpouring of anti immigration hate represents ( I hope) another growing pain for our nation.

All the arguments commonly employed against immigration fail miserably when used against students who stand to benefit from the DREAM Act. They speak the language and are clearly assimilated and have amply proven their ability and resourcefulness. No services and education were "stolen" as some anti groups claim- they improve the economy since they spend money on products and services just like everybody else, and property, state and federal income taxes have been paid by the majority.Rather the reverse holds true as services funded have NOT been used.And DREAMers do not take employment away rather they increase the quality of the workforce by raising the bar.

Instead of closing your minds against the thousands of students that through no fault or choice of their own find themselves in this undocumented limbo, please understand the issue at hand.DREAM students may not have been born in the US but they are as thoroughly American as any born citizen. Their achievements in the face of adversity embody the American spirit and are worthy of admiration.

Imagine for a minute being ripped from your home and dropped in a place you may not even have a memory of, where you may only know the rudiments of the language,where you have no resources or support. If we saw the story of a young American stranded in these conditions we would demand immediate rescue. Yet those of you that stand in pig headed righteousness, screaming Illegal is ILLEGAL! SEND THEM BACK! are calling to do exactly that- EXILE young Americans. They are raised and educated and lived AS AMERICANS. And they are acting upon they values they have absorbed. Fighting for what is just and fair and morally right and to not give up. Is that not the quality of citizen you want working to improve our nation? Or do you prefer the kind that sits around and whines about how bad things are and looks for scapegoats?

By disenfranchising DREAMers and barring access to full integration we are cheating ourselves out of their abilities and education and throwing away the investment we've already made. We lose thousands that could be hardworking full contributors to our society. The human cost alone is entirely unbearable and unacceptable
The DREAM Act is a fair and humane way to both correct one of the many dysfunctionalities in the broken immigration system and would allow us to reap the immense promise and ability these students represent. PASS THE DREAM ACT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

S.W.E.R. Town Hall Meeting for Dream

April 13th SWER (Students Working for Equal Rights) hosted an outstanding Town Hall meeting in the Wolfson campus of MD College. Over 120 attendees listened to presentations that went from MDC administrators and student government representatives to community representatives, all declaring their strong support For DREAM Act.
Even more moving were the personal stories shared by several Dreamers in the audience. It was a deeply affecting to the rest of the attendees to judge by the numerous comments they shared. We NEED more of these events that not only educate our peer citizens about DREAM but also put a real human face on what each DREAMer has had to overcome, the personal cost of living a half life and waiting in limbo. This is in my opinion the best way to counteract the opposition, when they attempt to label dream students as criminals, or dehumanize us as just numbers. If our peers can relate to our experience they will then become supporters. In this way we create a personal stake in each of those supporters, and ensure their commitment and efforts towards enactment of DREAM Act.

Camila: An update

Camila Hornung, a featured Dream student who was an honor student at Florida State University, was deported to Peru along with her parents on June 2008, despite concerted efforts by friends and family as well as local government representatives. She recently sat down with us to recount for us her experiences in the US and give us an update of her life today.

Motto:
Camila Hornung, thank you for taking a few minutes of your time to sit down with me. I would like to ask you some questions in regards to your experience in the United States and your immigration case. Could you briefly describe how and why you came to the United States?

Camila:
Well my parents made the decision to take my sister and me to the United States on May 6, 1996, because the situation in Peru was very chaotic. We arrived with a tourist visa. Once we were in the US, we applied for political asylum, this gave us legal status.

Motto:
And for how long were you in this legal process?

Camila:
Until we were given the final order of deportation in December 2002.

Camila:
Ok, just verified, August 2003
Motto:
Was there any at any moment an opportunity for you and your sister to modify your status? Given, I presume that you both were active members of the community?

Camila:
Not at all. Once we were given the order of deportation that ruined any chance of being able to modify our status. Although there could have been other things that could have helped. One being the Dream Act and possibly immigration reform.

Motto:
Did your family try to modify their status at any time during your stay in the United States?

Camila:
We had pending political asylum. We were always in the hopes of an immigration reform. My parents petitioned until no other possibilities were left to keep our legal status until it was denied.

Motto:
Tell me Camila, what were your goals, aspirations, and hopes for the future while in the United States?

Camila:
Most definitely, they still are there,but they have been put on hold since my deportation.

Motto:
Tell me about how you went to school applied for and won scholarships. What major did you want to pursue, what were your hopes for your life here.

Camila:
Ok, well I applied to Florida State University with the very little I had, my social security number and what not. I also had Florida Bright Futures and prepaid college that my parents paid throughout the years with their hard work. I was a business student at FSU and wanted to major in International Business. I never planned for my life to be anywhere else than in the United States. My life plan was basically to go to school, pursue my career and live my life there.
Motto:
And now you find yourself on hold. Do you plan to return to the United States at any point?

Camila:
Of course! That ‘s where my life is and I plan to return to normal some day. Go back with my family and friends and continue my studies.

Motto:
So the 10 year ban has not affected your dreams of returning at all?

Camila:
No, patience is crucial at this point.

Motto:
That is a very admirable characteristic. Something, I may add, I do not have myself.

Motto:
All aside, can you recall the events of the day you got detained?

Motto:
How were you guys treated, and what type of process did you endure?

Camila:
It's something I think about everyday, the worst day of my life aside from the day I got deported. It was just like any normal day, my parents and I were going to the library when an undercover cop pulled us over right near the corner of our house. There he handcuffed my dad as if he were a criminal (that was definitely the hardest part for me). From there the ICE police offers had no consideration towards us and took us to the Broward detention center. The conditions were that of criminals, words cannot describe what I went through. I did not do anything to deserve that treatment. At the detention center our personal belongings, cell phones and our human rights were taken from us. At that point we were viewed as criminals. My father was separated from my mother and I and taken to the men's side. My mother and I were forbidden to speak to my father if for some reason we crossed paths. My father was forced to wear an orange uniform and my mother and I were given used clothes to wear. It was definitely degrading and humiliating having to experience the life of a criminal.

Motto:
How long did you stay at the detention center?

Camila:
From June 9th to June13th

Motto:
And from there what happened?

Camila:
June 13th we were deported to Peru unexpectedly, without any warning. They just grabbed the three of us and told us to get into this jail van and did not tell us where we were going. Once I saw the sign for the "airport", I knew it was over.

Motto:
Did any organization try to aid in your cause? What happened to your sister?

Camila:
Well as you know Nora Sandigo made her best efforts to help me as well as Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. My sister, Luciana made the decision of returning to Peru because it was too difficult for her to stand being alone after everything that happened.

Motto:
Have you been affected psychologically or traumatized from the experience?

Camila:
I have trouble sleeping; all I can think about sometimes is just going back to my life.
I don't mean to sound too dramatic. But it's true

Motto:
Please do tell

Camila:
Yeah, just basically the situation takes over most of the time and it's all I can think about at times.

Motto:
Anything else you’d like to add to the readers out there? Any advice for the Dreamers?

Camila:
I would like my story to teach others about the current immigration situation in the country and that something must be done about it. And to the Dreamers, just to not give up "Patience is the greatest of all virtues."

Motto:
Thank you Camila

Camila:
You're welcome, thank you!!

We at Life by Dream thank Camila for her time and her willingness to share her story with the rest of us. Her patience and positive attitude as well as her message of hope is an inspiration to all.