After graduating high school, a majority of students will go off to a college or university to pursue the American dream. However, many hardworking students are unable to live out this aspiration due to their status as illegal aliens. The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act is a bill that will abolish this injustice. This act must be passed as it will allow immigrants to become U.S. citizens faster than the normal legislation processes allows. Through the DREAM Act, individuals who meet certain requirements and who aspire to join the military or attend college will be granted these inalienable opportunities. The DREAM Act will benefit the United States economically and morally, as well as militarily.

The DREAM Act has been proposed by the U.S. Senate every year since 2001 and was recently proposed again on May 11, 2011. The act will present many economic benefits if passed. Because the children of undocumented immigrants are more likely to drop out of high school than students who are born in the U.S., the act will reduce dropout rates in high schools. Immigrant students will inevitably experience an elevated sense of motivation to pursue higher education because they will not be restricted by their illegal status.According to a 1999 Research and Development study, an average 30 year old Mexican immigrant woman who has graduated from college will pay $5,300 more in taxes than one who has not. The act will increase tax revenues and cut government spending in areas such as illegal immigration because many of these immigrants will become legal through the DREAM act. Costs of criminal justice and welfare will also decline because a college education presents immigrants with the opportunity to secure a job and financially support themselves, rather than turn to a life of crime. Whether it be a college degree or service in the military, these individuals will continue to contribute to economic growth within the US work force.

The income of immigrant households will also increase, thus stimulating spending and investment that will improve the current economic chaos. In a 2010 study conducted by the University of California Los Angeles Integration and Development Center, it was estimated that the total work earnings of DREAM Act beneficiaries will be between 1.4 and 3.6 trillion dollars. These beneficiaries will then increase their spending and invest in U.S. companies.

Additionally, the act is highly beneficial for universities. With increased amounts of legal immigrants, colleges will have a greater applicant pool to choose from. The diversity of the additional students will positively broaden the student body, as well.

The DREAM Act also offers moral benefits, as it will lead to a significant decline in crime rates. The Department of Homeland Security has identified 221,000 non-U.S. citizens in the nation’s jails. More immigrants will attend college rather than face a life in jail and increase the already drastic number of California incarceration rates. In a country that promotes equal opportunities, these hardworking students deserve a chance to prosper.

Army enlistment is also an important tradition in many families; however, immigrants’ illegal statuses prevent some of them from joining. The U.S. must embrace the aid offered by those who stand for American values.

If immigrant students are not given the same opportunities as others, it contradicts the United State’s fundamental principles of equality and tolerance.

This act will allow many immigrants to pursue a life of greater meaning in the name of equal opportunity. The DREAM Act will further promote equality through education. •