Social Workers Support Young Immigrants’ DREAMs

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HUMAN RIGHTS UPDATE – July 2010

Social Workers Support Young Immigrants’ DREAMs

Isabel was brought to the U.S. from Mexico by her parents when she was only six years old. She entered the public school system 19 years ago and grew up just as her American born peers – listening to N*Sync and TLC, eating pizza and hamburgers, and watching the fireworks every July 4th. It was not until her senior year of high school, in the midst of filling out college applications, that Isabel found she was not eligible for many financial aid programs. Although it took a year of hard work, Isabel was able to secure a private scholarship, attend a local university, and eventually obtain her BSW degree with high honors. Unfortunately Isabel’s dreams have been halted once again. She is unable to use her degree because she is not authorized to work in the U.S. Isabel hopes for a day when she and others will be able to fully contribute their education and skills and realize their dreams in the only country they consider home.

BACKGROUND
dream act Every year 65,000 undocumented students graduate from high school in the U.S. (Gonzales, 2009). Many of these students were brought to the U.S. by their parents when they were very young and grew up unaware of their immigration status. They have integrated themselves into American culture and invested in their future through education. Most of these youth have no memory of the country in which they were born and consider themselves American in every sense.

It is often not until their teenage years that many undocumented immigrants discover their lack of U.S. citizenship. Whether attempting to obtain a driver’s license, applying for college, or beginning the process of military enlistment, undocumented youth face the reality that they are not recognized as legal residents. Without citizenship, students are ineligbile for federal financial aid, in-state college tuition in most states (even if they have lived in that state for the majority of their lives and their parents have paid taxes), or the option to join the armed forces (Gonzales, 2009). For high-achieving students who value the promise of education, it is devastating to have their options severely limited after high school graduation.

When learning of their undocumented status some youth also begin living in fear of deportation. Many avoid traveling long distances or visiting cities near a U.S. border for fear of random immigration checkpoints. Some question why these students do not apply for lawful permanent residency in order to avoid the threat of deportation. In order to do so, students would have to return to the country of their birth, fill out a green card application, wait years for processing, and run the risk of their request being rejected. For most undocumented students, living in the U.S. with its associated risks seems a better alternative to living in a country they do not remember or consider home.

ROLE OF SOCIAL WORK
Social workers see the impact of roadblocks that thwart the goals and aspirations of young people. School social workers voice concern about the repercussions of these barriers on students’ psychosocial well-being. They notice increasing cases of anxiety and depression in students who suddenly feel disenfranchised when denied access to higher education and military service due to their immigration status. Social workers have found that youth who have little hope of fulfilling their goals are at higher risk for truancy and drop-out, low-wage jobs, and high risk behaviors.

Community social workers are also seeing the fallout of immigration policies on families. Without proper documentation it is difficult to obtain health and car insurance and there are complications in renting or owning a home. Caseworkers assisting immigrant populations find many famillies are struggling to meet their basic needs. This often means all members of the family are responsible for generating income, leaving students with no choice but to work if they can find employment, even if it disrupts their studies.

NASW supports policies that ensure access to higher education for the children of immigrants and that provide for efforts to remove penalties on the children of undocumented immigrants for their parents’ actions (NASW, 2009). The NASW Code of Ethics calls for social workers to be aware of the impact of the political arena on practice and to advocate for changes in policy and legislation that ensure all people have equal access to the resources, employment, services, and opportunities they require to meet their basic needs and to fully develop (NASW, 2008).

LOOKING AHEAD
Although comprehensive immigration reform has met political hurdles in the past, pending legislation would ensure a legal pathway to citizenship for undocumented youth who have much to contribute.

Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act
The DREAM Act is a bipartisan bill introduced to provide undocumented young people an earned legal pathway to citizenship.

Under this legislation an individual would qualify for 6-year conditional permanent resident status if he/she meets the following conditions:

Entered the U.S. before the age of 16;
Under the age of 35;
Graduate from high school or obtain a GED;
Lived continuously in the U.S. for at least five years prior to the date of the enactment of the DREAM Act and;
Has good moral character (no criminal record).

Students would be able to apply for lawful permanent residency if during the 6-year time frame they completed at least two years of college or U.S. military service.

TO LEARN MORE
1. Visit the following websites for information on immigration and the DREAM Act:

2. Visit NASW's Legislative Advocacy Network and view our recent advocacy alert to join NASW in urging Congress to support the DREAM Act.

REFERENCES
Gonzales, R. (2009). Young Lives on Hold: The college dreams of undocumented students. Retrieved July 8, 2010, from http://professionals.collegeboard.com/ profdownload/young-lives-on-hold-college-board.pdf. New York: College Board.

National Association of Social Workers. (2008). NASW Code of Ethics. Washington, DC: NASW.

National Association of Social Workers. (2009). Immigrants and Refugees. In Social work speaks (8th ed.) p. 199. Washington, DC: NASW Press.

Key Terms

immigration, human rights update, human rights, youth, education, law,

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