While I believe the writers of this act have their heart in the right place, requiring five years of residency in the U.S. before the act was passed is much too long. I am an ESOL (English to speakers of other languages) teacher in rural Georgia. All of my students are Hispanic, and many of my students may be undocumented.

But what about my students who entered 1, 2, 3, or 4 years before the act is passed? Are they just out of luck? I have students such as José, who has been in the U.S. for just three years. He attended only three years of school in Guatemala before entering U.S. schools in sixth grade. He is now in 8th grade. His English is remarkable. He makes A honor roll, won a presidential fitness award, and is active in his church. He dreams of becoming a lawyer and helping other Hispanic people. What will happen to him?

If the Dream Act is passed in 2007, what good will it do any young people who entered the country without documentation after 2002?

Maybe I'm missing some information on this issue, but I believe the five year residency requirement needs to be changed.