During this lame-duck session for Congress, Arne Duncan has recently advocated the urgency in passing the DREAM Act. Under this act, minors who were brought into the US illegally by their parents will be allowed to attend universities at in-state tuition rate or join the military and gain citizenship upon proper documentation and lengthy requirements.
Duncan made a statement that outlines all the positives that will come out of the DREAM Act and rigorously pushes the necessity of the bill.
However, this bill cannot come without controversy. Many support the DREAM Act and say it will be a stepping-stone for ratification of immigration laws, which are up for debate soon. Others strongly disagree, and claim that this bill is only being used to garner the vote of Hispanics and disgraces the nation.
One media vehicle that commented on this new proposed legislation is the online news source Hispanically Speaking. On this site, they reposted an article from Politico.com that states the benefits for the passage of the DREAM Act and a summary of Duncan’s message. This would be a proper place to post such an article because Hispanically Speaking is targeted at Hispanics. A majority of the website is in Spanish, so to post an article that supports new opportunities for citizenship would be appealing for either an illegal minor or a parent looking for opportunities for their children.
This is important because this particular media source supports the bill and makes it look like the answer to immigration. Not only does it offer the opportunity, but it is important to note that the article also contains the specific requirements that illegal minors would have to take. This is especially important because it lets the readers know that it is not an easy scapegoat for citizenship, rather it is a law to be taken seriously, and will not be easily exploited and does not leave holes for fraud or misuse.
However, our friends at Kansas City Star would be appalled…in fact, they ARE appalled! Kansas City Star posted a letter to an editor that demonizes the proposition of the bill, referring to it as a “bad dream” act. The author comments on the falsity of the provisions, saying that it is unfair to American citizens who work just as hard. The author also claims that illegal minors who take advantage of this new law will exploit it by using it to get green cards for their parents. It important to note this specific letter because it shows how uninformed people can still have crucial opinions that can influence other uninformed citizens.
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