Give the DREAM Act Priority Treatment

FYI. I sent this letter out to the following DREAM Act (S.774) Cosponsors: Patrick Leahy, Russell Feingold, Chuck Hagel, John Kerry, Joseph Lieberman, John McCain, and Harry Reid.

Give the DREAM Act Priority Treatment

It is now May of 2007 and there is still no immigration reform passed into law. My hope is that the Senate and House is working together behind closed doors, making progress, and that passage is imminent but we, the public, are just not hearing about it. But my fear is that May will turn into June…July…August and then you will all be gone for the summer. And then in the fall the 2008 elections will dominate your calendar.

My concern, in particular, is for the DREAM Act eligible young men and women who were brought to this country at a young age when they had no say in the matter and therefore did not violate any immigration laws. I know you are a co-sponsor of this bill (S.774) so you empathize with the plight of these young Americans and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for that. But unless you have become personally involved with one of them, you cannot fully appreciate their frustration and suffering.

You and I both anguish over the thousands of young American soldiers who, I believe, died needlessly in Iraq. This is an unconscionable tragedy. The DREAM “kids” suffer a different kind of tragedy. They are all quite alive, vibrant, intelligent, educated, and possess a degree of patience I find hard to comprehend. But many of them are also growing weary, getting discouraged, and losing hope. Some are returning to their native countries. They are slowly dying in spirit. To lose an educated, talented individual in whom our country has invested, is a great loss for our country. To lose 600,000 of them would be a tragedy.

Imagine, for a moment, that your spouse snatched your eight-year-old son (or daughter) away and smuggled him into another country. Let’s give him a name: Freddy. Little Freddy was thrust into a strange society and had to attend a school full of strange sounding kids who looked at him as though he were from another planet. But Freddy was tough. He knew he would have to learn this strange language, and learn it well, to survive. And he did; along with all of his other studies.

Oh, but when he came home from school there was much more to be done than homework. Freddy’s Mom gave him plenty of love, food, and other motherly things when she wasn’t cleaning their home…or someone else’s. But with her limited education and unfamiliarity with the “official” language, Freddy had to learn quickly to write money orders, pay bills, translate, etc.

As time went on and grade school turned into high school, Freddy assimilated well and felt pretty much like an ordinary kid. All that changed when he turned 17. While all of his friends were enjoying their right-of-passage to a driver’s license and car, it all suddenly fell down on him like a ton of bricks. He was different after all. He felt like a citizen but could not prove it. Was this some cruel joke? With this revelation, Freddy began looking over his shoulder, gripped with fear, whenever he was out in public, wondering if a law officer would confront him about his legal right to be in this country. And how should he answer? Should he go back to his native country which would now be as unfamiliar as it would be to any of his friends?

So, from this point on, Freddy felt like a fugitive. “Hey, why aren’t you driving yet?” a friend would ask. Freddy would quickly think up a plausible lie. He became quite proficient at it. But he gradually fell into the syndrome of self-imposed house arrest. Especially with immigration laws becoming more and more mean spirited, he realized that if he is involved in any type of incident, even a traffic-stop as a passenger, he is at risk. Hence, he took comfort and refuge inside his four walls.

Despite these handicaps, risks and fears, Freddy persevered and made it through college. And then it was time to hunt for a job. Hmm, maybe he can get away with lying on the application regarding immigration status and get a “legal” job. But how is that legal if he lied on the application? Or…maybe he could work “under-the-table” where the employer won’t ask any questions. But, um, isn’t that illegal also? So, what was Freddy to do?

At this point, Senator, you might ask in outrage, “How can my boy be treated like this and be denied his basic rights? For God’s sake, he committed no crime!” My point exactly, Senator.

In closing, what I am asking you for, is

 Swift passage of S.774, independent of the broader immigration reform bill, if necessary, as it may get bogged down in debate.

 Visit http://dreamact.info/forum/, which is a forum for the DREAM folks, register (very easy) and write a note of encouragement and support to these young men and woman and let them know what progress is being made. If you have a little more time, read some of their stories and you will appreciate their integrity. These are real people, ready to participate in and contribute to our society. Every day that they are denied this opportunity is…another tragic day.

Thank you for all of your past, present, and future efforts regarding this issue.

Thanks again Carl. We really appreciate your comments of encouragement.

Very nice, thanks carl. That is what we really want, after all, the DREAM Act.

Thank you Carl!