The Dream Act Will Benefit Immigrants essay

For the equality of all people, the humanity requires of each person to accept that everyone deserves an equal opportunity to achieve their potential. The adversities that various people go through on a regular basis in different places should not be put away from the attention of the society, more so its leadership. The suffering of a young Enrique as he maps to find his mother during an excessively labyrinthine treasure hunt makes one empathize with the plight of immigrants in the United States. In her novel, Enrique's Journey, the author Sonia Nazario spared no detail as to the incessant struggle of the 16-year old boy to find his mother. The stringent laws put on immigrants served to make his quest a challenge despite the deserving moral grounds and the nature of his objective. In June 2012, the Obama administration presented the Dream Act to accommodate the young, promising and law-abiding citizens without the legal documentation to allow their stay in the US to defer their deportation. Therefore, the Dream Act can reduce, or even prevent the suffering of a significant faction of immigrants in the US and improve the country based on the revealing of Enrique's Journey.

Enrique had to live apart from his mother for 11 years due to the consequences that might arise in case of deportation of a young person without the Dream Act in place for him protection. It is unfair for a child to have to experience solitude despite the fact that his/ her parents are alive. One can only imagine the suffering that Enrique went through before he resorted to taking the trying of thrice journey. The child went through tragic experiences along the road, risking his life as he courageously boarded El Tren de la Muerte- the Train of Death, several times. This shows the effect of separating families due to the need to cater for other needs, and this outcome is extreme desperation. The Dream Act could have given Enrique a chance to stay in the US without the deleterious consequence of having to stay away from his mother. The pardoning of the young non-citizens in the US would have eliminated the need to risk the life of many young children that try to migrate to the country with no success.

The limited formal education of Enrique could have been improved by the Dream Act; hence it would not end at third grade. Lack of a proper formal education in this era subjects one to an extremely challenging life. The literacy level of a person determines the salary one gets while employed. Enrique could not afford education in Mexico due to the country's poor economic situation. In the US, education is availed to the youth without much strain. If Enrique's mother had the Dream Act to protect her child, she could have brought him to the United States to give him a vast choice of opportunities. Basic education is amongst the millennium goals that the US vowed to uphold. Therefore, denying young children the chance to have an education in the US due to lack of proper immigrant certifications is not justifiable. The Dream Act could have deferred the time until deportation to give Enrique and other children, who face the same plight (approximately 18 million), a chance to perceive a worthwhile future. The children require quality education to prosper in life, and even add to the US workforce to improve the economy of the country.

The several crimes that occur along the border due to the stringent alien restriction measures will reduce drastically with the approval of the Dream Act. Numerous crimes that are accounted for along the borders happen to immigrants, both young and old, as they strive to cross the border. The cost of life is immeasurable yet Nazario reveals the inconsiderate killings of children during the perilous journey to enter the US. The restrictions to entry into the US have led to the establishment of gangs that extort money from the desperate travelers. This comes with the bribing of people who assure successful chance of crossing the border; which is slim, in the prospects of the soon-to-be-aliens in the US. The crime rate in the US and the neighboring countries can reduce radically if the legal system finds a way to accommodate the immigrants through the Dream Act. The Dream Act also requires the immigrants to have no criminal records, or at least not a significant one, to be eligible for its benefits. This makes the prospective immigrants lead a life without crime to ensure their stay in the US. The Dream Act opens up an opportunity for the young ones not to be involved in or become the victims of criminal activities by making it legal for them to stay in the US.

Therefore, the acceptance of the Dream Act will benefit not only the youths among the immigrants, but also the economy and social setup of the US. As ambassadors of human rights and equality in opportunities, the young should receive this incentive which gives them the opportunity to have bright future. The projections of the economy and the revenue for the federal government are impressive enough to justify the Dream Act (an additional $ 329 billion to the economy by 2030, 1.4 million job opportunities and $ 10.2 billion in revenue to the federal government). This projection could not have come at a better time than today, as the US tries to solve its current economic crisis. However, the consideration for children's rights should receive priority among the legislators. Enrique's plight clears all qualms regarding the downside of enacting the Dream Act making it a suitable for the society.

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