Dream Act Set-back is a Loss For All

Click here to see my letter in the Boston Globe!

RE “IMMIGRANTS lament Dream Act’s defeat’’ (Boston Globe Metro, Dec. 20): The disappointment about the Senate’s failure to pass the Dream Act reaches far beyond the immigrant community. I’m a US-born citizen, one of a majority of American voters who support the Dream Act. Many citizens are also lamenting the Senate’s decision, not just for what it will mean for our immigrant friends and neighbors, but for the impact it will have on our communities and the future of our nation.

As a medical student and someone who deeply values higher education, I have worked hard for the passage of the Dream Act alongside students, teachers, church leaders, and community members from across Massachusetts. The many citizens involved work in solidarity with immigrant neighbors to ensure a brighter future for our communities, our own families, and ourselves.

Under the Dream Act, more of our nation’s youth could attend college and advance their education; our work force would gain more motivated doctors, lawyers, nurses, teachers, and other professionals; and our economy would be bolstered by the additional contributions of Dream students.

This most recent setback for the Dream Act is a loss for all of us in this nation, and we should all lament its defeat.