ATLANTA—Jessica Colotl is a reluctant poster girl for the Dream Act. Her parents brought her to the United States from Mexico illegally when she was 10 years old. She stayed out of trouble, kept her head down, made good grades, and enrolled in college. But she did not keep her head down quite far enough. Colotl was arrested on campus at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Ga., and sent to an out of state illegal immigrant detention facility to be deported. She had been driving without a license, which as an illegal immigrant, she had no way of obtaining. As an illegal immigrant, she had no reasonable way to become legal.
The American Dream Act, HR 1751, and the Senate Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act would give those who came to America illegally as children a path to becoming citizens. It would apply to people who came to the United States under the age of 16, stayed here five or more years, have “good moral character,” and graduated from high school. Such people could earn the chance to become citizens by giving two years of military service or completing two years of college.
Colotl was arrested after her car blocked traffic on campus. She gave an incorrect address to police, and for that was charged with a felony count of giving a false statement to police. The 22 year-old was released from an Alabama deportation facility after a public outcry, and given temporary citizenship, which spared her deportation, according to a report by CBS Atlanta.
She was sentenced on Nov. 15 to three days in jail, given a year’s probation, and fined $1,000. Had she had a way to get a driver’s license, none of it would have happened. One of the first things she did when granted temporary citizenship was to get a learner’s license. Kennesaw is one of those suburban places with basically nonexistent public transportation.
Even if Americans cannot agree on comprehensive immigration reform, the Dream Act is both fair and beneficial. Those who came here illegally as children did not make a decision to break the law, and they should not be punished for the choices of their parents or guardians.
People of good moral character who have what it takes to finish high school and enter college or the military are people America needs.
The nativist rhetoric and the harsh anti-immigrant sentiment common today paint politicians into a corner. Some legislators may be afraid to support the Dream Act lest their vote be used against them. But immigrants come bearing gifts, and America should accept those gifts.
My newspaper, The Epoch Times, was founded by Chinese-American immigrants who wanted to provide a high quality, independent news source for their non-English speaking fellow Chinese. My neighborhood has seven bustling Ethiopian restaurants, creating jobs and paying taxes. Leaving Target the other day, I saw four women coming toward me in pink, blue, teal, and gold silk saris, making the sidewalk look like a glorious garden. My Chinese plumber and his Mexican tile experts fixed the problem the American-born handyman created. Thanks to all of you!
It’s the simple contributions like these that should be enough for us to write our representative and ask them to pass the Dream Act.
Mary Silver can be reached at [email protected].
The American Dream Act, HR 1751, and the Senate Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act would give those who came to America illegally as children a path to becoming citizens. It would apply to people who came to the United States under the age of 16, stayed here five or more years, have “good moral character,” and graduated from high school. Such people could earn the chance to become citizens by giving two years of military service or completing two years of college.
Colotl was arrested after her car blocked traffic on campus. She gave an incorrect address to police, and for that was charged with a felony count of giving a false statement to police. The 22 year-old was released from an Alabama deportation facility after a public outcry, and given temporary citizenship, which spared her deportation, according to a report by CBS Atlanta.
She was sentenced on Nov. 15 to three days in jail, given a year’s probation, and fined $1,000. Had she had a way to get a driver’s license, none of it would have happened. One of the first things she did when granted temporary citizenship was to get a learner’s license. Kennesaw is one of those suburban places with basically nonexistent public transportation.
Even if Americans cannot agree on comprehensive immigration reform, the Dream Act is both fair and beneficial. Those who came here illegally as children did not make a decision to break the law, and they should not be punished for the choices of their parents or guardians.
People of good moral character who have what it takes to finish high school and enter college or the military are people America needs.
The nativist rhetoric and the harsh anti-immigrant sentiment common today paint politicians into a corner. Some legislators may be afraid to support the Dream Act lest their vote be used against them. But immigrants come bearing gifts, and America should accept those gifts.
My newspaper, The Epoch Times, was founded by Chinese-American immigrants who wanted to provide a high quality, independent news source for their non-English speaking fellow Chinese. My neighborhood has seven bustling Ethiopian restaurants, creating jobs and paying taxes. Leaving Target the other day, I saw four women coming toward me in pink, blue, teal, and gold silk saris, making the sidewalk look like a glorious garden. My Chinese plumber and his Mexican tile experts fixed the problem the American-born handyman created. Thanks to all of you!
It’s the simple contributions like these that should be enough for us to write our representative and ask them to pass the Dream Act.
Mary Silver can be reached at [email protected].
