Your editorial "A Worthy Immigration Bill" (Nov. 27) ignores the truth about the Dream Act. The bill impacts all Americans, not just illegal immigrant students. It allows illegal immigrants to receive the same in-state tuition rates at public universities, which unfairly puts them ahead of U.S. citizens.
And according to the Migration Policy Institute, the Dream Act could mean mass amnesty for over two million illegal immigrants. It grants amnesty to those who are under the age of 35 and complete two years of college or military service. Once the Dream Act's amnesty recipients become citizens and turn 21, they can sponsor their illegal immigrant parents for legalization.
Just like other amnesties that have been enacted, the Dream Act is a magnet for fraud. Many illegal immigrants will falsely claim that they arrived in the U.S. before the age of 16, just in order to get the amnesty. And once the Dream Act beneficiaries apply for amnesty, they will be given work authorization. So these individuals who have broken the law will be legitimately competing for jobs with the 14.5% of Americans under age 35 who are currently unemployed.
The Dream Act subsidizes education for illegal immigrants, grants them mass amnesty, encourages more illegal immigration and inevitably takes jobs from American workers. Simply put, the Dream Act is a nightmare for the American people.
Rep. Lamar Smith (R., Texas)
San Antonio
Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D. 