The Senate Immigration Bill Rewards Lawbreaking: Why the Dream Act is a Nightmare
Heritage Foundation Backgrounder, No. 1960, August 14, 2006
5 Pages Posted: 27 Feb 2008
Abstract
The Senate's immigration reform bill's DREAM Act repeals federal law that prohibits any state from offering in-state tuition rates to illegal aliens unless the state also offers in-state tuition rates to all U.S. citizens. The DREAM Act would retroactively change federal law to pardon ten states which have enacted laws in violation of that policy. This Backgrounder argues that allowing in-state tuition for illegal aliens encourages the violation of federal immigration law and is unfair to legal aliens and out-of state U.S. citizens. It shows how the DREAM Act would create another type of amnesty for illegal aliens who entered the country before the age of 16 and concludes that the Rule of Law can be fully restored only if all levels of government are working to uphold it.
Keywords: Immigration, Immigrant, Alien, Illegal Alien Development Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, DREAM Act, Permanent resident, Green card, Citizenship, Amnesty, In-state tuition, IIRIRA, Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, Education policy
JEL Classification: H71, H72, H77, I20, K22, K28, J61, J68, K10, K42
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation