I have very mixed feelings about SG's proposed resolution in support of the DREAM Act.
Because SG's resolution will never have any substantial impact on a bill being debated before the U.S. Congress, SG should use its time to discuss pressing campus issues for which they could have real impact.
That said, I do hope Congress will actually do something right and pass the DREAM Act this time around (Yes, the conservative columnist actually supports a "liberal" piece of legislation).
The bill, if passed, would give the children of illegal immigrants who graduate from high school the opportunity to earn citizenship if they earn a college degree or spend two years in the military within six years after high school.
This is one of those rare things that conservatives and liberals can agree is fundamentally a good idea. Immigrants who have succeeded in our education system or served our country deserve citizenship as much as any of us who were lucky enough to be born into it.
Sadly, both major political parties have it wrong on immigration. The Republican Party has become the stereotypical "closed borders" party - the party of ignorant, insensitive douches complaining about the "Mexikins" taking their "Jebs." The Democrats, on the other hand, are the stereotypical "open borders" party of self-righteous, liberal douches who are happy to let the rest of the world come in and feast on our overly generous welfare state.
Milton Friedman was right when he said you can't have immigration and the welfare state. Unfortunately, conservatives take him out of context and liberals discredit him as a capitalist pig. Immigration in a free society means that only people who will be better off in America by their own labor than they were in their old country will emigrate. This is distorted by welfare since many people will be better off in America whether or not they contribute to society.
Since, despite my many cries for it, we're not going to abolish the welfare state anytime soon, it makes sense to have a degree of regulation at the lowest skill levels to keep the welfare seekers from citizenship. At the higher skill jobs, however, welfare is not an issue. If people want to be citizens and will contribute positively to our society then, by all means, let them.
Congress should immediately and unanimously pass a law that makes anyone holding a graduate or professional degree from an American university eligible for citizenship. We have a problem now because successful immigrant professionals, such as engineers, lawyer and the like, are sent back to their home countries when their visas expire. No one who wants to be a citizen and helps our economy should ever be denied citizenship.
Citizenship denial to graduate and professional school graduates is the biggest travesty in immigration policy, but the DREAM Act is certainly a step in the right direction.
I hope the act will pass, prove successful and be the first step in a sensible immigration policy that will actually contribute positively to our economy. And if it does, I guarantee that it will do so without any help from SG.
Johnathan Lott is a political science and economics sophomore. His column appears on Thursdays.
