March 16, 2015 - 20:05
"These kids are here to stay; and, one way or another, they will help to define our future." (Kirp 16)
This quote is from where Kirp emphasizes that no matter the actions of their parents, undocumented children are here now, and it is important to cultivate the best education we can, which includes certain laws such as The DREAM Act, an act that would enable undocumented students to enter college and receive an education. However, it has been voted against multiple times because people and most importantly politicians are so concerned with punishing the parents of these undocumented children for entering the country illegally. As Kirp says, these children are here to stay, and forbidding them from attending college or pursuing residency is not beneficial to anyone. If they are allowed to pursue a college degree and citizenship, these undocumented students can become another educated citizen of the US, something that we can never have too many of. If they are not allowed these things, it is still likely that they will remain in the US. The fear of being deported to a country that many undocumented students may not even know well is very alive and real in schools to the point where undocumented families will avoid government benefits such as free lunch in schools. It seems incredibly counterproductive to remove students who are receiving an education and are intent on staying in the US in the future. Dana Rohrabacher claims that the DREAM Act would only encourage people to come to the US and bring their children, but if they are interested in a better life, in getting an education and being an educated citizen of the US, how could that possibly be a negative thing?