Monday, November 29, 2010

Today’s Video: Considering the DREAM Act

To DREAM or not to DREAM, that is the question.

Last month we looked at the "Don’t Be a Douchebag, Vote" campaign by Cuentame, a group run under the auspices of the Brave New Foundation. Their latest effort is to push for Congressional approval of the DREAM Act, a proposal that would permit a path to citizenship for certain illegal immigrants either fighting in the military or seeking post-secondary education.

Opponents of the plan, which may be debated during the current "lame-duck" period of Congress, claim that it provides an unfair "amnesty" for undocumented migrants. Backers of the proposal believe, on the other hand, that rightfully rewards hard-working young men and women seeking to better their lives as well as their communities.

As noted in the Los Angeles Times, those eligible under the DREAM Act must meet a number of very strict guidelines in order to be granted conditional legal residency:
The Dream Act would give legal residency to immigrants who arrived before the age of 16, resided in the U.S. for at least five years, graduated from high school and completed two years of college or honorable military service. They would be subject to background checks and could not have a criminal record. Even if granted residency, they would not be eligible for federal grant scholarships. When enacted, the law would apply to those under 35.
The following video from Cuentame is part of today's national day of action in support of the DREAM Act. Decide for yourself if this piece of legislation should be passed or defeated:

Online Sources - Chicago Daily Herald, The Latin Americanist, Los Angeles Times
Video Source - Cuentame's Facebook site

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