Dream act woes

[pgg]

‘Dream Act’ students vow to work harder for rights



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‘Dream Act’ students vow to work harder for rights


REBECCA HUVAL Napa Valley Register | Posted: Friday, December 24, 2010 12:00 am | (9) Comments


After Congress rejected the Dream Act last week, Aaron Gonzalez’s path to teaching history and coaching soccer at his alma mater, Napa High School, someday became a lot rockier.

Lacking citizenship, Gonzalez, 22, must now pay full tuition for two more years of Napa Valley College without the help of financial aid. Then, unless the Dream Act eventually passes, he won’t be eligible to teach at the high school where he graduated.

“It’s just unbelievable to me that it didn’t pass,” Gonzalez said. “It’s significant to me in every way. It’s everything I need to work for.”

Gonzalez is an Assembly Bill 540 student, undocumented but eligible to pay in-state tuition in California. At Napa Valley College, a handful of those students and other activists rallied this fall for the Dream Act and formed a coalition to support the cause.

The act would provide a path to conditional permanent residency for high school students without U.S. citizenship who go to college or serve in the military.

Instead of disbanding after Congress blocked the act Saturday, the Napa Valley Dream Act Coalition will revamp, said Laura Lopez, 23, of Napa, who graduated from UC Santa Cruz as an AB 540 student.

The Coalition’s efforts, such as calling senators across the U.S. and attending rallies in San Francisco, have not been in vain, Lopez said.

“It demonstrated how much power the youth have,” Lopez said. “Even if they’re undocumented and can’t vote, there’s so much you can do to have civic engagement in your community.”

Lopez was arrested for trespassing July 20 in Washington, D.C., as part of a sit-in at Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s office. She revealed herself as undocumented at the risk of deportation.

Rest at link

If our gov't had any balls all these people would have been deported already

[BigDawg]

Its a shame that our elected "officials" are more worried about the possibility of losing a few votes than protecting the citizens, legal residents, and legal visitors in this country.


Its time for a whole new voter party, no more Republican, Democrat, Independant, or "Tea Party" BS!

[Five-0]

Dear Mr. Gonzalez,



Oh and Feliz Navidad!!!

[Captain America]

“Even if they’re undocumented and can’t vote, there’s so much you can do to have civic engagement in your community.”

[countybear]

I've never heard the commission of a crime called "civic engagement", but its an interesting argument.

[ChesCopPodz]

The act would provide a path to conditional permanent residency for high school students without U.S. citizenship who go to college or serve in the military.

This is the only part of the act I supported, and have supported this as a means to citizenship throughout the debate.

You want automatic citizenship? Join the military, earn an honorable discharge after putting in your 4 years, and you're a US citizen, no questions asked. Doesn't matter if you're 18 and fresh out of high school, or 35 and just crossed the border, serve this country honorably, become a citizen.

I would even be willing to grant citizenship for an entire dependant family if the mother or father did the above. The 35 year old illegal crosses the border with his family, serves his 4 years, his wife and kids become citizens along with him, with a temporary green card to remain in the country during the 4 years.

That's it. No other amnesty. No "Im a college student, so I should get citizenship" BS. Either go through the proper channels to become citizens, or take the military exception.

[Captain America]

This is the only part of the act I supported, and have supported this as a means to citizenship throughout the debate.

You want automatic citizenship? Join the military, earn an honorable discharge after putting in your 4 years, and you're a US citizen, no questions asked. Doesn't matter if you're 18 and fresh out of high school, or 35 and just crossed the border, serve this country honorably, become a citizen.

I would even be willing to grant citizenship for an entire dependant family if the mother or father did the above. The 35 year old illegal crosses the border with his family, serves his 4 years, his wife and kids become citizens along with him, with a temporary green card to remain in the country during the 4 years.

That's it. No other amnesty. No "Im a college student, so I should get citizenship" BS. Either go through the proper channels to become citizens, or take the military exception.

I agree with this also. Anybody that puts their butt at risk for this country deserves perhaps more than some natural born citizens to be Americans.

[depusm12]

IIRC there is a law that allready allows citizenship with military service. I know in the Navy lots of Philipino's did this.

[bayern]

I've never heard the commission of a crime called "civic engagement", but its an interesting argument.

Same as a s"Community Orginazer" being called President.