The DREAM Act, which thus far has been unable to gain traction on its own, would grant temporary legal status to illegal aliens who entered the U.S. before their 16th birthday and have been in the country for at least five years. Immigrants could then earn permanent resident status by attending college or university, or serving in the U.S. military.

Passage of the DREAM Act would allow children who did not chose to
immigrate illegally the chance to become true Americans, Reid said in a press statement.

“This amendment will ensure that millions of children who grow up as Americans will be able to get the education they need to contribute to our economy,” Reid said. “Students who come to America before age 16 and who have been here for five years should be able get their green card after they go to college or serve in the military. And many who have volunteered to defend our country can finally become citizens of it.”

Prior to this legislation, U.S. immigration law punished children for the so-called sins of their fathers, said David Thronson, an MSU professor of law and immigration law specialist.

“Immigration law doesn’t treat children very well,” Thronson said. “The fact that someone entered without inspection when they were 2 years old is treated as if they
did it themselves when they were 30. We don’t generally penalize
kids for things their parents did, and in immigration law we
do, so this is a counteract to that.”

Although Michigan might not see as many illegal immigrants as border states like Arizona, the DREAM Act would help lighten the financial burden of college and possibly allow more undocumented immigrants to come to MSU, Thronson said.

“(If you’re an illegal alien), you’re not going to get any federal financial aid,” Thronson said. “You’re going to pay out-of-state tuition, so all of a sudden (college) becomes a financial unreality. … We’re essentially saying dropout and become a problem.”

However, granting illegal immigrants funding to come to college is unfair to citizens who also rely on financial assistance to pay for their education, said Andrew Walker, a political theory senior and chairman of the MSU College Republicans.

“The government would be subsidizing illegal immigrant’s education by granting them in-state tuition,” Walker said. “It’s unfair to charge illegal alien students in-state tuition when there’s other U.S. citizens from other states that are charged out-of-state tuition. … The government is basically rewarding people who bring their children to the United States illegally by providing for them to come to our country and at the same time, receive free services.”

Attaching the amendment to the defense budget bill is a common political maneuver to help the DREAM Act pass, Thronson said.

“We’re going to pass the defense bill, the question is going to be rather if (the DREAM Act) stays part of it or not,” Thronson said. “That’s a common legislative tactic for anything, to attach provisions to bills that are must-pass bills. Attaching it is a way to get it to vote.”

Attempting to pass the legislation by sneaking it through on a budget bill is inappropriate, Walker said.

“(The MSU College Republicans) don’t approve that (the DREAM Act) is being attached to a U.S. defense budget bill, simply because with that bill, the government will be deciding on how much money to send to our troops and to keep our military going strong,” Walker said. “At the same time, partisan politics are taking a front stage in that as well, and they’re putting in things like the DREAM Act.”