Should taxpayers foot the bill to educate the children of illegal aliens? Perhaps to put it another way, should the children bear the crimes of their parents? Most of the individuals here in violation of US immigration policy do indeed work. In fact, they work long hard days with very low pay and no benefits. In the event of employer abuse, they really have no where to go. Most are here for a better life, and no one can fault them for that. However, it’s the fact that they have tried to jump to the head of line, pass those who are following national and international laws regarding immigration that has put their status in this county in question. Most are simply rounded up and deported to their home county (where, by the way, the same offence would get them prison time). But what about the children?
Americans have long recognized that education was the key (not guarantee) to future success. We place great value in education and knowledge. Currently, there are an estimated 1.5 million children of illegal parents in our public school system, costing US taxpayers some $12 billion dollars to educate them. Our schools are already overcrowded, thanks to fewer teachers (who, in my opinion, are paid far less than they deserve). Schools have to deal with gangs, drugs, petty crime, and sometimes the threat of mass violence in addition to the norms of education and adolescence. With illegals added to the mix, our schools have to deal with children who lack the basics and require remedial education to bring them up to speed with their peers. According the Mexican government’s own statistics, on 58% of individuals 15 years or older have some elementary school education (http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/illegal-immigrants-cause-public-school-crisis).
Many of these same children use the school nurses for health care their parents would normally have access to if they were here legally, plus “free” programs, such as taxpayer sponsored meals, books, and laptops. Then we need to address the costs borne by taxpayers for bilingual tutors (and let’s not forget the children of parents who do not want their children taught English. Yelp, there are parents who insist their children be taught in their native language, which means that the school has to provide a full time tutor to follow the student from class to class translating for them…all at taxpayer expense.
Children of illegal immigrants rarely stay in one school system for very long. Many move from district to district, depending on the nature of their parent’s migratory job situation. In doing so, the children failed to develop consistency in their education as well as the as resulting in gaps in their education which may affect their employment status later on. Of course, they usually fail to develop lasting friendships with other students, or a sense of “belonging” with neighborhoods or the community, resulting in a perpetual “outsider” mentality which could lead to affiliation with gangs later on as a substitute family or community, which cost the American taxpayer million if not billions of dollars in terms of police, fire, EMS, healthcare, prison upkeep, and property damage, not to mention destroyed lives. Those children left out of the education system altogether fail to develop even a rudimentary education, and can be expected to become an even greater burden to the American taxpayer later on. So, what is to be done?
America’s education system is broken. It needs a top to bottom overhaul, and that takes money and time. Unfortunately, we have neither. The countries where these illegals have come from have grossly failed their people by not allowing for the development of a strong middle class. This was the result of the rich landowners and businessmen, in conjunction with the religious institutions historically keeping the peasants poor and stupid. It produced a cheap and docile work force. Any attempt at rebellion was quickly extinguished thanks to the power of the State. Their problem became our problem when the American Government, regardless of political party, supported these very same rich oligarchs and rightwing juntas in suppressing the will of the people in free and open elections; the very thing we hold most dear.
We supported repressive governments that would allow US businesses unrestricted access to their markets. The only revolution we would permit was the “Consumer Revolution” which relied on the creation of debt to support itself. Now, we’re dealing with the consequences of those actions as the children and grandchildren of those very same peasants come here in search of the better life they see on TV or read in the pulp magazines and now that debt may be ours to bear.
The DREAM Act Illegal Alien Amnesty:
A Bad Idea at the Worst Possible Time, Says FAIR
(Washington, D.C.) Despite overwhelming opposition by the American public when it was first proposed in 2000, the House and the Senate have reintroduced a sweeping illegal alien amnesty bill known as the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act.
The legislation, introduced by Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.), is a broad amnesty measure disguised as an educational initiative that would allow millions of illegal aliens who meet a very loose definition of “student” to qualify for green cards. In addition, it provides in-state tuition benefits for illegal aliens that will displace legal residents competing for a fixed number of college admission slots and taxpayer subsidies.
The DREAM Act represents yet another attempt to enact an amnesty for illegal aliens, either in one comprehensive bill, or piecemeal. The DREAM Act would also place severe strains on state budgets and harm middle class families who are struggling to get their own kids through college.
Passage of the DREAM Act would:
Reward parents who violated immigration laws through their children, and provide a powerful incentive for more illegal immigration.
Transfer seats and tuition subsidies to illegal aliens at a time when state higher education budgets are being slashed, admissions curtailed, and tuitions increased.
By broadly defining “student” it gives amnesty to large numbers of illegal aliens who may be pursing any sort of education.
Accelerate chain migration and exponential population growth because illegal aliens who are granted green cards will be able to petition the Department of Homeland Security in the future to grant their parents and relatives legal status too.
“Once again, Congress is ignoring the interests and concerns of hard-working, law-abiding Americans in order to reward illegal immigrants and pander to the illegal alien lobby,” said Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). “Even as American families are struggling, and nearly every state is facing a budget crisis, Congress is prepared to mandate huge additional burdens in the form of a massive illegal alien amnesty.”
“The American people have made it very clear that they reject amnesty for illegal aliens whether it’s in one comprehensive bill, or piecemeal,” Stein said. “The DREAM Act would not only allow millions of newly legalized illegal aliens to compete for their jobs, but allow them to compete for their own children’s educational opportunities. With private university tuitions already out of reach for most middle class families, and tuitions at public universities rising three times faster than median family incomes, the DREAM Act would be more than a reward for illegal aliens. It would crush the hopes and dreams of countless American families trying to provide opportunities to their own children.”
About FAIR
Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country’s largest immigration reform group. With over 250,000 members nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced.
Contact Ira Mehlman at 206-420-7733 or Bob Dane at 202-328-7004.
Poll Results
I asked you if you thought we were becoming a dual nation by losing our Middle Class. Historically, the Middle Class has been the bond that has held Capitalist nations together. Without it, we either revert to Anarchy or a Feudalistic society. 24% of you thought there was still hope and opportunities for the Middle Class (12% each). What I found amazing was that rest of you, some 76% felt we were losing our Middle Class. I have to wonder if that’s because of the pessimistic climate resulting from our current economics conditions, or there is something fundamentally broken in our society that government hasn’t picked up on yet. While I hope it’s the former, I fear it may be the latter. Thanks for voting!
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