My name is David. I am undocumented and I am no longer afraid. I will use this blog to educate, inform, and update those who are interested in or passionate about current happenings & issues like immigration. In the future, I will also upload my testimony and other publications that, I feel, would help channel progressive movements into our society.
Today's blog is on "Our Broken Immigration System"
Currently, there are 12 million undocumented immigrants in this country. What do we do with all of them? Deport them? Where will we find the money to do that? America needs to provide pathway towards citizenship to undocumented immigrants via a tough but fair immigration reform ASAP. Legalizing immigrants would increase our tax revenue and bring in approximately $1.5 trillion dollars to our country, over 10-year period. A better economy will instigate more spending and investing, creating more jobs and lowering unemployment rate. It will also raise the middle-class wage level.
What about undocumented students? Each year, 65,000 undocumented students graduate from US high schools but have limited access to higher education because they do not qualify for any state or federal financial aid. I couldn't even put my name down on Cal grant application or FAFSA... Moreover, undocumented students cannot work legally even after graduating from prestigious universities like Yale or UCLA. Undocumented UCLA students are paying around $12,000 per year (excluding book expenses), only to find out their degrees are virtually worthless. Does that make any sense to you? These brights students just want to work legally after graduation. They make up less than 1% of college students in California, and they're not taking away the state's money.
Give us a chance; we only want to contribute to this nation.
Pass the Dream Act!
http://dreamact.info/
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/01/07/hinojos-immigration/
Dope! Keep writing.
ReplyDeleteOK, David. I'd love to read more of the UCLA study, and see what assumptions the author is making. A $1.5 trillion bump to the economy over ten years sounds too good to be true, and usually is.
ReplyDeleteMost of those I knew in my former church who were here "illegally" were unskilled workers, and in addition, sent much of their money home. Not that I would be against better wages per se, but I am not really convinced the economic argument is true.
For folks like you, pursuing college education, who have a track record of contributing to society, I am all for this sort of immigration reform.
Keep up the good work, David. Those who do not agree with you may have valid points, and are not the enemy. The goal is to persuade with all means at ones disposal.
You ever need anyone to testify on your behalf, it would be my honor to do so.