Florida students from across the state recently gathered to watch President Obama’s State of the Union address. Some because they wanted to, others because it was history homework. Among the thousands of young people who watched this American tradition are mixed-status families, undocumented students and immigrant workers – Americans in every sense except on official paperwork.
President Obama, in his speech, presented his vision for a new chapter for the United States, and acknowledged these new Americans – our neighbors, students, and friends who have been exploited by or locked out of a broken immigration system.
The president noted the great contributions and economic potential of immigrants to our nation. Working Americans know we need to build a middle-class economy, which immigration reform must be a key ingredient of.
The stakes have never been higher.
This call for reform comes at a critical and unprecedented time in our nation’s history. The Arizona Legislature has just unveiled a bill to deny citizenship to the children of undocumented immigrants. This proposal is unconstitutional, but it will undoubtedly coarsen the tone of the immigration debate.
We all know that the immigration system will not fix itself. Inaction will only make things worse. The president’s remarks open the door for progress, but we must do so much more.
Now more than ever, America needs the DREAM Act, a bill for undocumented students brought to the United States at a young age. To qualify, students must attend college or serve in the military, thereby improving our nation through their education and service. It will strengthen the U.S. economy by cutting the deficit by $1.4 billion and will likely improve the dropout rate in immigrant communities and ease strains on local services.
At a time when business is loudly advocating for importing skilled workers, politicians and corporate CEOs are ignoring the fact that some of our best and brightest are already here, but pushed into an underground economy where they can’t actively participate.
But ultimately we can’t fix our immigration system piecemeal – it has to be a sustained effort that rebuilds our economy and addresses the real issues at play – corporate abuses and an imbalanced economy that puts workers’ rights last.
In 2010, ICE deported almost 393,000 people – at a cost of nearly $5 billion. Deportations of undocumented immigrants expel talented college students, tear up families and separate mothers from their children. These have reached record high levels under the Obama administration. Deportations of young people like Florida State University honors student Camila Hornung send the wrong message to the world.
Immigration reform is not only about who we are as a nation, it is a crucial part of our larger economic strategy. The United States needs the DREAM Act and immigration reform to bolster the economy and reap a return on our nation’s investment. We simply cannot afford to have millions of hard-working people shut off from contributing to our economy, without legal protections and without meaningful access to higher education.
That’s why a third-generation Pennsylvania coal miner and a DREAM Act-eligible youth from Florida are calling on all our leaders to come together and create real solutions.
From Polish and Italian immigrants of our parent’s generation to Mexican and African immigrants of today, the American dream has been a binding tie across the fabric of our great nation. Our country was founded and supported by the determination and innovation of those who came to our shores in search of opportunity, and we must allow this legacy to continue and thrive today.
It is time for President Obama and Congress to take action on meaningful immigration reform, to turn these dreams to reality and to move our country and our economy forward.
Richard Trumka is president of the AFL-CIO. Gaby Pacheco is an undocumented, DREAM-Act eligible youth from Miami.
How many times? I mean try again just to see Dream fail again? just like last year? or the year before that? or even before that? Um lets see...just like 9 years from today?
Republicans ARE the majority right? and I'll be 28 in May, but wait a min, Who gives a fuck right?
Because Illegals are Illegals! At least that's what the senators thought when we lost back in December! They didn't remember shit about their pledge to help us dreamers. So why should we forget?
