Let the Dreamers DREAM Video
Let the Dreamers DREAM Speech
We can talk all we want about how getting rid of the Dreamers can destroy families, destroy their hopes and dreams, destroy their mental health, but truth be told, a majority of you, if not all of you, still wouldn’t change your minds. Let’s talk about how deporting the Dreamers would destroy our nation, our home, even if you don’t think it is also theirs.
Since the early days of our nation, we have welcomed immigrants from all over to come and achieve The American Dream. People left all they had known, their families, the lives they had built elsewhere, to come here with their goals and determination to create a better life for their children and generations to follow.
Barack Obama put DACA into place in 2012 because he thought it would greatly benefit the nation. He gave our undocumented students a chance to legally contribute to the nation by providing them with social security numbers and work permits. They were now able to attend college, work legal jobs and pay taxes, and contribute to the workforce.
President Trump then rescinded the program in 2017 as part of his anti-immigration campaign, not thoroughly considering the uproar it would cause. From the day the rescind was announced, there were protests, petitions, and lawsuits all over the nation. As of November 2019, the Supreme Court is now hearing cases regarding DACA in order to determine whether or not President Trump has the constitutional right to revoke DACA through an Executive Order. President Trump’s argument is, as tweeted,
“DACA is unlawful. President Obama never had the legal right to sign DACA, and he indicated so at the time of signing. But In any event, how can he have the right to sign and I don’t have the right to “unsigned.” Totally illegal document which would actually give the President new powers.”
No matter the argument, we fail to acknowledge how the Dreamers are benefitting our nation. They are earning higher wages, allowing for higher tax revenue and economic growth.
Here are some statistics taken from a national survey done by Tom K. Wong of the University of California, San Diego; United We Dream (UWD); the National Immigration Law Center (NILC); and the Center for American Progress.
- 97% of respondents are currently employed or enrolled in school.
- 5% of respondents started their own business after receiving DACA.
- The average hourly wage of respondents increased by 69% since receiving DACA, going from $10.29 per hour to $17.46 per hour.
- Their increase in wage contributes to their increase in the amount of taxes they are paying each year. According to the Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy, Dreamers paid a total of $11.7 billion in state and local taxes in 2014.
Not only are Dreamers working towards their own future and goals by getting an education or higher wage jobs, but they are also contributing to the economy of our home. Before we reach a decision on where to send these Dreamers, why don’t we consider how much we can lose by forcing them to start over somewhere new.
Let the Dreamers DREAM!
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