Controversial 'DREAM Act' Approved In California

By Michael Lopez

As you know, we've covered aspects of the DREAM Act initiative for quite some time. On the national level, it offered a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants seeking to attend college or join the military. And though the federal DREAM legislation failed to pass, governor Jerry Brown has enacted an alternate version of the bill in his state of California.

"I'm committed to expanding opportunity wherever I can find it," Brown said during Monday's bill-signing ceremony. "And certainly these kinds of bills promote a goal of a more inclusive California and a more educated California."

Democratic Assemblyman Gil Cedillo authored the California bill, which has quite a few differences from its national DREAM counterpart. For one thing, this version would give undocumented students privately funded college scholarships and would not allow them to secure citizenship.

Those who receive money to attend college will still keep their illegal immigrant status, which, we imagine, would make it pretty difficult to secure work after graduation. But an education is an education, and the measure does provide plenty of incentives to work hard and focus on school.

Brown, who received a good deal of Latino votes in last year's gubernatorial election, has stated that this bill was a "gesture of goodwill" towards the people who helped get him into office. But, as expected, the California DREAM Act is not without its critics.

Several high-profile Republicans have spoken out against the measure, saying that U.S. citizens may now be denied entrance into schools because of increased competition. They also find it unfair that undocumented immigrants will be getting financial assistance.

The fact that the money will be privately funded helps trump that argument. No taxpayer dollars will be covering the undocumented students' tuition. Though if Cedillo has his way, that may not always be the case. He is currently pushing for a variation of the bill, which would allow public money to be incorporated into the Cali DREAM Act too.

Perhaps one of the DREAM students themselves, best summarized the measure. Speaking to Reuters, undocumented UC Berkeley undergrad Julian Rivera said,

"It doesn't matter where you come from, it doesn't matter what your background is, it just matters that you have passion for something and you want to do it. This is a country that has given us that freedom."

What do you think about California's DREAM Act? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, California, California DREAM Act, DREAM ACt, Education, Gil Cedillo, Immigration, Jerry Brown, Politics