A Dream (Act)...or more like a Nightmare.

The Dream Act on the federal level did not pass. States have since passed their own legislation also labeled Dream Acts which may confuse some to believe that the Dream Act passed. The act would have helped students who were moved here as minors obtain higher education and serve in the United States armed forces. People often get the Dream Act and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program created in 2012 by President Obama. The DACA grants deferred deportation to illegals are under the age of 31 and arrived in the United States prior to the age of 16 and also meet other criteria. Protections under this program are good for two years although you may renew if you meet qualifications again. DACA is not a type of any sort of status for illegals whereas the Dream Act would have paved a path to residency and eventually citizenship. Congressional action has been severely missing on immigration reform leaving immigrants to be confused and finding themselves still facing struggles getting a job even under the protections of the DACA program. The Dream Act would increase the already high number of illegal immigrants coming into the country. The Dream Act would take enrollment positions away from Americans as well as provide more difficulty for American students to obtain much needed financial assistance.

It's a Privilege...not a Right.

I think many immigrants forget that it is a privilege for them to be able to become citizens of the United States. It is not a right owed to them. In order for immigrants to be granted citizenship, they should be required to know English. Americans should not be required to learn Spanish in order to communicate with other citizens within our communities. Society can not efficiently function if we can not effectively communicate. It is important to adapt. The United States was not created for many different diversities of people to live together unable to communicate and unable to openly participate in our government due to language barriers. When looking for employment in the United States, bilingual can be found as being a job requirement. Immigrants should be productive members of society. There is a problem. The United States must ensure that immigrants are not just here to take and not give back as they are presently doing with no consequence. There is no love for our country in these immigrants and they will not learn English unless they absolutely have to. We should not have to make special signs or have instructions in English and Spanish for everything. It is also hard for Americans learning Spanish in schools because the immigrants are speaking a Slang Spanish and not the formal Spanish that is being taught and one can still not communicate or they still must try and decipher what is being communicated. Immigrants come to the United States to enjoy and reap in the benefits. It is a privilege not a right owed to them, therefore the least they can do is learn English to effectively communicate.

A Time for Change

The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution currently reads that: All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and are subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and the State wherein they reside.  When our founding fathers drafted ad created the document  they would or could have ever foreseen the illegal immigration problems that the United States would find itself to possess. Immigration was not even addressed during that time period.This amendment was originally intended for freed slaves and their descendants after the Civil War, not those that are now entering the country illegally. There is another technically to this issue wherein the amendment states "and are subject to the jurisdiction". Illegal immigrants are in the United States illegally without recognition or approval from the government, therefore they were not subject to the United States jurisdiction. The parents' immigration status is not even taken into account at the present time. It is time for a change regarding children  of illegal immigrants. The United States can not continue to operate in this manner. These children born in the United States are granted all the rights that every other citizen has. The United States needs the fourteenth amendment changed in order to better contain illegal immigration. If traveling abroad and giving birth in another country, would you expect said country to grant your child citizenship? Illegal immigration is a drain on our economy. It is time for a much needed change and update to an amendment that is now being used out of context.