Economic prosperity and national security through the DREAM Act

The DREAM Act will open the doors of higher education and
military service to young people who were brought to America without
documentation by their parents when they were children. If they are able
to meet several requirements, they will have the chance to earn a legal
status. Specifically, they will have to prove that they came to the
United States before the age of 16, have lived here for at least five
years, don’t have a criminal record, are not removable or inadmissible
from the country, are of good moral character and graduated from a U.S.
high school, obtained a GED, or have been admitted to an institution of
higher education. Today, these students are living in fear of the next
step of their lives, and attending college or other postsecondary
education is difficult, while serving our country in the military is
near impossible.  

Passing the DREAM Act will unleash the full
potential of young people who live out values that all Americans cherish
— a strong work ethic; service to others; and a deep loyalty to our
country. It will also strengthen our military, bolster our global
economic competitiveness and increase our educational standing in the
world.

By opening the American Dream of college for these bright, talented
youth, we will unleash an academic force into the U.S. higher-education
system. The result will be a new generation of college graduates who
will help strengthen our economic security. This new generation will be a
new set of future taxpayers who will contribute much more as college
graduates than they ever would as struggling workers moving from one
under-the-table job to another. They will help build the economy of the
21st century. 

From a national security perspective, the DREAM Act
will give the military the opportunity to recruit students who are eager
to serve at a time when there’s a growing shortage of potential
soldiers. The Defense Department’s strategic plan names the passage of
the DREAM Act as one of its goals to help maintain a mission-ready
all-volunteer force. Military leaders understand that at this critical
time in our history, when we face countless threats to our way of life
and the supply of soldiers does not match the demands being placed on
our armed forces, a new pool of highly qualified candidates willing to
put their lives on the line for America is a major plus for the country.

The

students who will benefit from the DREAM Act are some of our country’s
best and brightest. They were raised and educated in America. They
include community leaders and volunteers who are committed to service in
their neighborhoods. They are valedictorians and star athletes. They
text and go to the mall. They are Americans in every sense of the word.
They have deep roots here and are loyal to the country that has been the
only home they’ve ever known. They want to serve our country and hope
to become pediatricians, teachers and engineers. They are exactly the
type of young people America should be embracing.

But, unlike
their classmates, DREAM Act students are in a bind. It goes against the
basic American sense of fairness to punish children for the choices of
their parents. But thousands of young people find themselves in that
position. We can’t let them continue to live unfulfilled lives of fear
and squandered hopes. We must rise above the heated political rhetoric
and embrace this common-sense approach. And we need to do it now before
we lose this generation. It’s who we are as Americans, at our best.

Duncan
is the U.S. Secretary of Education.