America started as the land of Native Americans then English men came, cleaned them out, and claimed the land as their own. Centuries later there were more problems with immigrants coming to America, dealing with mainly Europeans. Now immigration is a big issue focused on the Hispanic population. Needless to say, immigrants of all types have come and gone to America and immigration is something that will continue to occur for more centuries to come. America being known as the land of the free and home of the brave invites many to come to the country and try to achieve their American Dream. According to the 2010 census, it's estimated that 40 million people in the United States are foreign born, with a mixture of Hispanics, Africans, Asians, and some Europeans (United States of America). Because of the amount of immigrants that have come to America, there have been talks about different immigration reforms, and what should be done.  Since many immigrants come to America for a better future for their children, there are many foreign born young adults in America that know no other home than the United States. It's estimated that 2.4 million foreign born are affected by their parents decision to come to America, and although they were raised in America they have no opportunity to make something out of themselves because of lack of citizenship ("The DREAM Act"). This is why the DREAM Act was made.

As reported by National Immigration Law Center, NICL, the DREAM Act, also known as the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, allows certain immigrant students who have grown up in the U.S. to apply for temporary legal status and to eventually obtain permanent legal status and become eligible for U.S. citizenship if they go to college or serve in the U.S. military ("DREAM Act: Summary"). The DREAM Act would also eliminate a federal provision that penalizes states that provide in-state tuition without regard to immigration status ("DREAM Act: Summary"). When the DREAM Act was first introduced, there was the impression that the many problems dealing with immigration would be solved and young undocumented adults would be able to achieve their dreams, but what people don't realize is that obtaining the actual dream is still nearly impossible even with the Act when states have different opinions on it.

Before being able to apply for the DREAM Act, potential DREAMers have to first apply for DACA. As stated on the webpage of the United States Citizen and Immigration Services, DACA, also known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, eliminates the possibility of deportation for people under the DREAM Act by making them eligible for a social security number and license ("Consideration of Deferred Action for Children"). DACA was the first type of immigration reform created before the DREAM Act which allowed young adults to work and go to school by providing them with a social security number, which potential DREAMers need in order to apply for the DREAM Act. The problem with DACA is that the young adults only have legal residency for up to two years and then they have to renew it or go back to their parent's home country, and it provides very little financial aid for school to help the adults go to school.

The DREAM Act was essentially created to allow all of the people that have temporary legal status or that want a chance at getting their education, to be able to obtain legal status and stay in America. Out of the entire fifty states, less than twelve of them have passed the DREAM Act, and they all have their own form of the bill. According to VISANOW, the first legal immigration services provider that was technology based, there are only twelve states out of fifty in the country that have passed the DREAM Act at state level (VISANOW Global Immigration). Kansas, Massachusetts, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin all passed the same form of the bill that consists of instate tuition to those who have attended high school for at least three years and "must sign affidavit stating that they will file for legal status when eligible to do so" (VISANOW Global Immigration). New Mexico, Utah, and New York also passed the basic DREAM Act bill consisting of instate tuition except the three states have different requirements as to how long the potential applicants must have attended the high school and different evidence needed to prove that they lived in the state (VISANOW Global Immigration). Other states have gone out of their way to provide the best assistance to these young adults that want to prosper. Illinois not only passed the DREAM Act but also created their own private scholarship fund for undocumented students to help them pay for school, and they also granted families under the act access to Treasure's College Savings Pool and the Illinois Prepaid Tuition Plan in order to help them plan for college (VISANOW Global Immigration). California passed its own form of the bill as well, naming it the California DREAM Act. This specific form of the bill was passed in order to allow students to be able to fill out FASFA and be eligible for scholarships, and other tuition assistance (VISANOW Global Immigration).  Maryland passed the bill, and provided instate tuition for possible candidates living in the state as well as for active military families living in the state (VISANOW Global Immigration). Nebraska also provided instate tuition to future applicants, and is also allowing students whose parents moved out of the state to qualify for instate tuition as long as the applicant shows prove of residing in the state once again (VISANOW Global Immigration). The information provided by VISANOW  shows that there is finally progress in helping young undocumented adults in America, but it only applies for less than a quarter of the country. So why is it taking so long for other states to pass the bill and recognize the potential that many undocumented students have and all of the goals that they can achieve? No one with potential should be deprived of an education because of financial situations, and many states and politicians don't want to recognize it.

The DREAM Act should allow DREAMers to dream. There are so many constrictions and modifications in each form of the bill that different states present, and they are all not fair. Not only that, but some states are still refusing to awknoledege the fact that young undocumented adults should be helped and allowed to attend school, and have no intention in passing the bill in the state. As a country, all the states should be able to agree on passing a bill that will not only benefit millions of innocent people but benefit the country as a whole.

According to the official website of the White House, the DREAM Act will allow the economy of America to finally prosper over the next ten years (Miranda). The bill can cut the deficit by $1.4 billion dollars and increase government revenues by $2.3 billion dollars within the next ten years (Miranda). These numbers eliminate the common misconception that the bill will take a lot of money and time out of America's government. On the contrary, through a variety of different careers that can be chosen such as teachers to educate future generations, researchers to help find the latest cures and disease, etc., America's economy can finally prosper and continue to prosper for decades to come. In less than a decade, the economy can be drastically improved by billions of dollars. This is a matter that two presidents of the United States have struggled with, and in passing this bill will help solve a big part of it.

The economy will benefit tremendously from the bill, but America as a country will also benefit globally (Miranda). In today's world there is a lot of competition between countries. Who will discover what first, who has the best doctors, engineers, etc., is always a big concern within big countries. Allowing millions to achieve their best and to stay in the country will allow them to use the knowledge and experience from college to not only better America, but create America a competition for other countries once again. If the government allows foreigners to grow and learn in the prestigious colleges of America, it doesn't make sense that they are being sent back to their country because they are using what they learned in America to better another country instead of the United States. Giving these young adults with great potential permanent legal residency will ensure America to be number one competitively again.

With such competition and tension that has been aired lately in the news, for example North Korea, the United States military needs to be the best that it can be. The DREAM Act can contribute specifically to the military. America's military can grow bigger and stronger according to the White House's official website (Miranda). Since the act states that anyone that qualifies has to either go to school or the military, the military's recruitment and readiness will be increased. The young men and women that enter the military will be ready and eager to fight for their country in order to obtain their education. There will be no slacking because the men and women entering the military want to succeed and prosper in the only place they know to be home, America. The military will not only have more soldiers, but in the passing of the act there will be more medical staff within the army. This creates a stronger and well prepared military ready for anything. The men and women that fight every day for our freedom will have more medical assistance available to help their needs and be the best that they can be, all by enforcing the DREAM Act throughout the country.

It's also believed that in the passing of the DREAM Act, it can help in the crackdown the amount of criminals in America, as stated on the White House's official website (Valencia). According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1.4 million criminals in America are active gang members ("They Poison our Streets with Drugs, Violence, and all Manner of Crime"). One of the gangs that pose the biggest threat in the country is the MS-13, operated in forty-two states of mainly Central and South American immigrants as reported by Federal Bureau of Investigation ("The MS-13 A National Threat"). Many illegal immigrants that are involved in some type of crime tend to start off young and in grade school, influenced by older generations. By federally passing the DREAM Act, it allows these young adults to actually look forward to something in the future, and not become involved in a negative lifestyle. Hopeless undocumented young adults tend to get into gangs and violence because they see no hope or future in their life's, but when providing the DREAM Act it gives many the motivation and push to make something out of themselves since their hard work in high school will actually be worth something. It'll help take gangs off the street, but also reduce violence in general because the new generations of potential DREAMers are no longer affiliated with a criminal life style, which means less violence and no passing on the traditions of their violent ways to younger siblings. It'll work like a chain reaction, the set example of the first generation of potential DREAMers allow the next generation to be applicable for the DREAM Act and be prepared for what's ahead by having a positive mind set and know how to conduct themselves. With the DREAM Act having such strict guidelines in who they accept such as not having any type of criminal record, it provides the government with a tool to not only create better generations of people to come, but also crack down on the amount of criminals in the country by seeing the illegal immigrants ones who aren't eligible due to criminal records.

Aside from the personal gain America can have in general, the DREAM Act is overall the right thing to do. Over a million young adults have been affected by their parent's poor decisions, and they should not be punished because of their parent's mistakes. They all came without a say or opinion because they were underage, many so young that they don't have any recollection of the country they were born in. These young adults know America as their home, they walk among us in elementary, middle, and high school speaking perfect English, getting good grades and conducting themselves in proper behavior. The federal passing of the bill can motivate those that have lost hope and feel that they are stuck and have no future after high school. It can create success stories for millions and eventually for America with what these young adults achieve, if only given the opportunity.  If America does grant the opportunity to the helpless young adults, it will show that America truly does what it stands for, provide justice and freedom to the individuals in the country.

A story of an undocumented young adult helps demonstrate how determined and willing these people are in becoming something out of themselves, and how the DREAM Act is simply the right thing to do. According to Sundburg, a Los Angeles reporter, a young man did everything in his power to not only put himself through college, but push his fellow high school peers to graduate and succeed in life (Sundburg). The young man attended a high school where 76% of Latinos dropped out, but Hernanado made a difference (Sundburg). He would meet up with all the Latino classmates that he had and informed then on everything they needed to do in order to attend college, and pushed them hard until the very end (Sundburg). Ultimately 84% of the kids that Hernando was mentoring are currently enrolled in college, and it doesn't stop there for Hernando and all his success (Sundburg). He continues to inspire and push others by giving motivational speeches to students in different high schools to continue and push for their dreams (Sundburg). This story is just one of the many young that have the potential to do so much more than people imagine. Not only is he making something out of himself, but he is influencing millions in the process and helping them make something out of themselves. He is the prime example that many of these potential DREAMers will have a vast impact in America in all sorts of ways, and he hasn't even graduated college. Imagine all that will come from him once he has a college degree, better yet imagine all that can come from the millions that are eligible for the DREAM Act.

There is hope that the bill will eventually make the dream that millions are trying to achieve accessible, it just takes time. The reason that people have questioned or just have negative feelings towards the bill is because they are not well informed. If everyone knew of the grand things that the bill contributes to not only millions of families and individuals, but to America as a whole, there is no doubt it would be passed in a heartbeat. What needs to be done right now is that people need be informed of what's going on and the truth behind the entire bill. The true facts of the DREAM Act have to be spread across the country in order for the passing of the bill. 
The DREAM Act is a bill that will help America as a whole. If people truly cared for their country, they'd support the bill after hearing all of the wonderful things it has to offer due to the dedication and determination of young adults that not only want to better themselves, but want to better their home as well. When other states start recognizing the potential the DREAM Act has in impacting many lives, great things will be discovered, people will be saved, and America will be the best it can be once again.
