For years, the United States has been grappling unsuccessfully with what to do about undocumented immigrant youth brought to the United States as children. Efforts have included the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA); the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, first introduced in 2001 but not yet passed; and the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) directive. The DACA, of course, is back in the news this month with the Trump administration’s most recent efforts to end it.
Research done by Bush School Associate Professor Kalena Cortes lends support to policies that ease restrictions on the aspiring undocumented immigrant youth often called DREAMers. Her examination of the IRCA showed that immigrant youth who faced fewer legal and financial barriers were significantly more likely to enroll in higher education than those not granted protections. Other researchers have found that higher education correlates with lower crime rates, higher salaries and employment rates, and improved quality of life for entire communities.
The research is described in a recent issue of The Takeaway, Achieving the DREAM: The Effect of IRCA on Immigrant Youth Post-Secondary Educational Access, written by Bush School student Tyler Tidwell. The article asks us to consider the potential cascade of positive effects that could result from educating immigrant populations.
The Takeaway is a publication of the Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics, and Public Policy at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University.
