One of my biggest disappointments in 2010 was the failure of Congress to pass the Dream Act. Hundreds of thousands of young adults who arrived in the United States with their parents as small children will continue to live in a state of limbo.
They are culturally USA. Their accent is American. I can think of so many who speak with a Southern drawl. They are forced to live in the shadows because of a decision their parents made many years ago. A decision that was supposedly for their benefit!
Many of these young adults have completed college, but cannot practice the career they prepared for because they don’t have the proper documents. Many are working at menial jobs and paying income tax. Yes, paying income tax. If one does not have the proper immigration documents he or she can apply to the Internal Revenue Service for a tax ID number and pay taxes. Many of these young people and their parents and other undocumented persons are also paying into Social Security, keeping it afloat, and presently have no possibility of ever receiving the benefits.
During these days when we read of Mary and Joseph’s flight into Egypt with their newborn, protecting him from Herod’s slaughter, let’s pray for the parents and children who have had to flee their countries for political, economic or other reasons. I hope that you will encourage people you know to learn more about this bill and encourage your representatives in Congress to support it.
For more information please click to read Archbishop Gomez’s statement on the Dream Act as well as the Justice for Immigrants website.
