In response to the editorial article, “Is the DREAM Act good or bad for America?” I would like to focus on some of the claims presented in opposition for the DREAM Act.

First and foremost, both columnists need to refrain when using the term, “illegal alien.” No human is illegal, it is the action committed by a person that is illegal, not the individual.

The DREAM Act is not legislation that will reward people for being here “illegally.” Rather, it is the only option that offers them the opportunity to pursue the “American Dream.”

The majority of the undocumented students are brought here at a very young age and are not even aware of their citizenship status until they are teenagers; up until that point, they feel that they came to the U.S. to pursue a better life.

As specified by columnist Aaron Brooks, the qualifications under the bill are very strenuous, and only a small percentage of undocumented immigrants would actually meet the criteria. It is not a free amnesty, but a selection of the best and the brightest.

Moreover, the DREAM Act would not be a government-sponsored program and would not need to receive direct monetary resources.

Not pay taxes? According to a study released by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, “Undocumented immigrants in the United States will pay, on average, approximately $80,000 more in taxes per capita than they use in government services.”

This is not including the payroll taxes through the use of false Social Security numbers.

Hugo Jacobo

Senior

Political science major

Founder and Coordinator of Dream Action NIU