A Look Behind: The Illinois DREAM Act

Governor Quinn signed the Illinois DREAM Act into law today, creating a privately-financed fund that will offer college scholarships to undocumented immigrant students. Even though the measure doesn't affect their immigration status, it aims to provide thousands of students who don't qualify for other forms of assistance with the means to afford college tuition. This measure is the latest victory in a decade-long effort by immigrations groups to assist young people who were brought into the U.S. as minors and grew up in the country as undocumented immigrants.

Bipartisan Approval for Scholarship Funds
The Dream Act first passed the Illinois House back in December and passed the Senate in May with vast bipartisan support. The measure's main provisions allow anyone with a taxpayer identification number, including undocumented students, to utilize the State Treasurer's College Savings Pool and the Illinois Prepaid Tuition Plan. Access to these programs is meant to help the families of undocumented students save for college in addition to giving them access to scholarships. A new commission will run the program and organize fundraising activities. No taxpayer money will be contributed to the funds at all.


Local Supporters
The issue of undocumented students in Illinois gained prominence in 2010 when two well-known Palatine students were taken into custody by U.S. Border Patrol officials. The two brothers, Rafael and Carlos Robles, were apprehended while taking an Amtrak train to visit a friend at Harvard University. When asked about their immigration status, the pair admitted they were in the country illegally. A public outcry followed their detainment, and Illinois Senator Dick Durbin and local nonprofits intervened on their behalf. The brothers were subsequently released and their case has been "delayed indefinitely." 
The plight of these brothers and others served as a catalyst for local groups like the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) that were supporting the passage of the DREAM Act in Illinois. Other groups, including college presidents from across the state, offered support as well.

Illegal Immigration Growing in Illinois
A 2010 study by the Pew Hispanic Research Center found that contrary to national trends, the population of illegal immigrants actually increased in Illinois from 475,000 in 2008 to 525,000 in 2009. Illinois has the fifth-highest population of undocumented immigrants in the country, behind California, Texas, Florida and New York.

One organization, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) estimated in a 2007 study that as many as 10,000 of Illinois' k-12 students were either brought into the country without visas or are otherwise in the country illegally. The study estimates the total cost of educating these primary and secondary school students to be around $1.1 billion dollars per year. This high cost makes educating the children of illegal aliens the largest cost borne by taxpayers as a result of illegal immigration, the study concluded.

Some Criticism, but General Support

While the DREAM Act enjoyed bipartisan support in Illinois, it isn't without its critics. FAIR and other groups opposed it on the principle that such laws would encourage more undocumented immigrants to come to Illinois. As these immigrants move to the area, FAIR and other opponents argue, they often turn to social services that then must be paid for by local taxpayers.

Nevertheless, polls show that Illinois residents are positive in their opinions of measures that support illegal immigrant students. Chicago holds the largest concentration of illegal immigrants in the state, and a 2006 Pew survey found that three-quarters of residents there agreed that the children of illegal immigrants should be allowed to attend public schools. As far as college is concerned, a majority (54%) said that illegal immigrants should qualify for in-state tuition at Illinois colleges.

The Latest in a National Effort
The DREAM Act in Illinois is the latest development in an ongoing national effort by immigration groups and politicians to pass similar legislation. An initial wave of "DREAM Acts" began in state governments around the country back in 2001, shortly after the national DREAM (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) Act was introduced in Congress. This act would grant undocumented students of "good moral standing" legal status if they attend college or join the military. Since they could not influence the immigration status of students, state-level measures focused on "tuition equity," or allowing students who lived in the state illegally to be able to pay in-state tuition at local colleges. Since then, more than ten other states, including Illinois, approved such measures and now provide in-state tuition to illegal immigrant students.
A second wave of state-level DREAM Acts, which includes the measure approved today, gained momentum after the national DREAM Act failed Congress in December of last year. However, IL Sen. Dick Durbin, who co-sponsored the first national measure, re-introduced a similar measure back in May.

Illinois and the National Immigration Debate
The high population of illegal immigrants in Illinois and the passage of measures like the DREAM Act bring the state to the forefront of this national debate on to treat undocumented immigrant students.The national DREAM Act's first-ever public hearing was held in Chicago back in at the end of June, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel and other local politicians came out in support of the measure. A 2010 Gallup Poll found that a slim majority (54%) of Americans would vote in favor it. But as in Chicago, opponents of the measure say that any kind of "amnesty" for illegal immigrants will only encourage more people to cross the border.
While it's unclear whether DREAM Act legislation will ever pass nationally, support for it is gaining momentum across the country. Once too afraid to reveal their illegal status, undocumented students are becoming increasingly vocal. A former Washington Post journalist made headlines when he admitted that he was an illegal immigrant, and his actions have in part inspired other illegal immigrants to "come out" about their immigration status. Whatever the solution, there are currently around 1 million unauthorized children in the U.S. attending public schools, who will someday graduate and wonder what to do next.