DREAM Act CounterplanBoston Debate LeagueVarsity Division

DREAM Act Counterplan Table of Contents

Summary2Glossary3

1NC Shell4

Counterplan Solvency ExtensionsAT: No Solvency College Costs5AT: No Solvency Financial Instability6AT: No Solvency Very Few Qualify7AT: No Solvency Families Deported (1/2)8AT: No Solvency Families Deported (2/2)9AT: Turn Military Coercion10

Summary

This Negative position provides an alternative policy proposal to the Affirmatives plan. What is important to note is that the Negative team has to prove competition; the Affirmatives plan and this plan cannot happen simultaneously. This means that the Negative team should always run a disadvantage that the plan causes but this counterplan does not.

The counterplan argues that the federal government should instead pass the DREAM Act that provides deportation protection for those illegal immigrant children and young adults who have lived the majority of their lives in the United States and are clearly contributing to our society (especially in the context of attending college). This would be a more tenable option for creating a legal pathway to citizenship without reversing our immigration laws.

In terms of strategic options, the counterplan would have the benefit of avoiding the harmful impacts of the Guest Worker Visa disadvantage, since the DREAM Act is a lot more palatable to Republicans than the full-scale stoppage of illegal immigration surveillance. There are reasonable cases to be made that this counterplan could also avoid the other generic disadvantages in the rest of the Varsity packet. It is up to the discretion of the debater to choose which positions could both complement the counterplan as well as prove the harmful impacts of the plan.

It is highly recommended that if you choose to run this counterplan, you do not run another counterplan in the packet. This would spread out the debate and the round would lose focus on the specific topic being discussed.

Glossary

Asylum: Asylum is when a host country protects someone who is unsafe in another country due to political, religious, racial, and social reasons by allowing that person to stay in the host country.Citizenship: Citizenship is a status of belonging to a certain country or nation. Citizenship gives certain rights like the right to vote, work and receive an education.The College Board: The College Board oversees college entrance exams, testing for college credit and distributing information to seniors on how to apply to college.DREAM Act: The DREAM Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) paves the way for undocumented immigrants to gain access to higher education. Deportation: The action of expelling someone from a country and bringing them back to the country they originated from.Human Rights Watch: The Human Rights Watch is an international non-government organization that oversees human rights by working on research, advocacy, and awareness of human rights violations and working to ensure that every human has their rights.Higher Education: Higher Education is education beyond high school for example having a Bachelors or Masters degree.Legalized Immigrants: Legalized Immigrants are immigrants who are legally allowed into the country and have papers proving that they can work, like a green card or a residence card.Stimulus Policy: A Stimulus Policy increases public spending in order to stimulate the economy or make the economy grow.Undocumented Immigrants: Undocumented Immigrants are illegal immigrants who dont have papers, such as a social security card or green card, allowing them to be in the U.S. Visa: A visa is a passport or a form of identification that proves that one is allowed into a country for a specified amount of time and/or purpose.

1NC ShellCounterplan: The United States federal government should pass the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act of 2011.1. The Counterplan claims the following net benefits: __________________________________.2. Counterplan Solves: The DREAM ACT provides economic opportunity for immigrants and grows the economy without increasing surveillance.Immigration Policy Center 2010 (THE DREAM ACT: Creating Opportunities for Immigrant Students and Supporting the U.S. Economy, immigrationpolicy.org/sites/default/files/docs/Dream_Act_071310_0.pdf)The DREAM Act would give beneficiaries access to greater educational opportunities and better jobs, which in turn means more taxable income: A 2010 study by the UCLA North American Integration and Development Center estimates that the total earnings of DREAM Act beneficiaries over the course of their working lives would be between $1.4 trillion and $3.6 trillion.19 A 2008 study from Arizona State University found that an individual with a bachelors degree earns approximately $750,000 more over the course of his or her lifetime than an individual with only a high school diploma.20 As of 2006, workers without a high-school diploma earned $419 per week and had an unemployment rate of 6.8 percent. Workers with a bachelors degree earned $962 per week and had an unemployment rate of 2.3 percent, while workers with a doctoral degree earned $1,441 per week and had an unemployment rate of 1.4 percent.21 A study by the College Board found that over the course of their working lives, the average college graduate earns in excess of 60 percent more than a high-school graduate, and workers with advanced degrees earn two to three times as much as high school graduates.22 The U.S. Department of Labor found that the wages of immigrants in the 1986 legalization increased 15 percent over five years, and that the immigrants move on to significantly better jobs. The DREAM Act would allow legalized immigrants to invest in the U.S. economy: Dr. Raul Hinojosa-Ojeda of the University of California, Los Angeles, and others have studied the impact of legalization and found important long-term improvements among previously undocumented immigrants. Specifically, removing the uncertainty of undocumented status allows legalized immigrants to earn higher wages and move into higher-paying occupations, and also encourages them to invest more in their own education, open bank accounts, buy homes, and start businesses.25 The DREAM Act would save taxpayers money: A RAND study from 1999 shows that raising the college graduation rate of Hispanics to that of non-Hispanic whites would increase spending on public education by 10 percent nationwide, but the costs would be more than offset by savings in public health and benefits, as well as increased tax revenues resulting from higher incomes. For example, a 30-year-old Mexican immigrant woman with a college degree will pay $5,300 more in taxes and use $3,900 less in government expenses each year compared to a high-school dropout with similar characteristics.26

AT: No Solvency College Costs[__]

[__] The DREAM Act still allows over 65,000 undocumented immigrants per year to work legally which helps the economy by increasing the amount of people contributing to the workforce and tax base. National Immigration Law Center, 2009 (Economic Benefits of the DREAM Act, http://www.nilc.org/DREAM-econbens-2009-03-26.html) Why is the DREAM Act needed? Each year about 65,000 U.S.raised students who would qualify for the DREAM Acts benefits graduate from high school. These include honor roll students, star athletes, talented artists, homecoming queens, and aspiring teachers, doctors, and U.S. soldiers. They are young people who have lived in the U.S. for most of their lives and desire only to call this country their home. Even though they were brought to the U.S. years ago as children, they face unique barriers to higher education, are unable to work legally in the U.S., and often live in constant fear of detection by immigration authorities. The DREAM Act will prepare the country for a new, global economy. Todays global economy depends on the creation, acquisition, distribution, and use of knowledge, and this requires an educated and skilled population. Passage of the DREAM Act would add thousands of talented, motivated, multilingual and multicultural people into our workforce. Passage of the DREAM Act will increase tax revenues for cash-strapped federal, state, and local governments. Newly legalized students would earn more and pay more in taxes. A RAND study showed that a 30-year-old Mexican immigrant woman who graduates from college will pay $5,300 more in taxes and cost $3,900 less in government expenses each year than if she had dropped out of high school. This amounts to an annual fiscal benefit of over $9,000 per person every year, money that can be used to pay for the education of others. The DREAM Act is a stimulus policy. As President Obama said in his address to Congress, creating an educated workforce will stimulate our economy, increase productivity, and help the U.S compete in the global economy. Students who would benefit from the DREAM Act are our future teachers, doctors, nurses, and lawyers. The DREAM Act will allow thousands of immigrant students to access higher education and maximize their contributions to our economy and communities.

AT: No Solvency Financial Instability[__]

[__] Even with loans, the DREAM Act is a better financial option for undocumented immigrants. Nil, immigration reporter for ThinkProgress, 2010 (New Study Cites DREAM Act Economic Benefits, https://www.laprogressive.com/dream-act-economic-benefits/)More specifically, the report concludes, In the No DREAMers Left Behind scenario, 2.1 million undocumented immigrants would become legalized and generate approximately $3.6 trillion over a 40-year period. Another positive effect of the DREAM Act would be that [a] higher supply of skilled students would also advance the U.S. global competitive position in science, technology, medicine, education and many other endeavors. These findings are especially significant given the nations falling level of educational attainment. As Wonk Room economics blogger Pat Garofalo notes, By 2025, according to estimates by the Lumina Foundation, our nation will be short 16 million college-educated workers. This will have real consequences for both the economy as a whole and for individual workers. In the past, the College Board has indirectly supported the reports conclusions, stating, In strictly economic terms, the contributions that DREAM Act students would make over their lifetimes would dwarf the small additional investment in their education beyond high school, and the intangible benefits of legalizing and educating these students would be significant. The reasoning behind the reports findings is pretty straightforward. The DREAM Act provides young undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. through no fault of their own with the opportunity to get on a path to legalization by attaining a college education or serving in the military. As a result, those who qualify for the DREAM Act will also have access to better economic opportunities than they would if they were working without a visa in the shadows of the economy.

AT: No Solvency Very Few Qualify[__]

[__] Over 2.1 million minors are not too few. And at least 65,000 graduates would benefit from reduced barrier to college. Amnesty International, 2011 (Student Activist Toolkit 2011, www.amnestyusa.org/pdfs/AmnestyInternational_DREAM_Act_ToolKit_2011%20FINAL.pdf)DREAM Act's path to legalization for eligible young people. With legal status made possible under the DREAM Act, it offers young people a form of protection from many human rights abuses, such as arbitrary arrests, detention and deportations, currently experienced by thousands of young people who entered the U.S. as children. WHO: Over 2.1 million minors in the United States may be subject to deportation and every year an estimated 65,000 undocumented high school graduates are unable to pursue a further education. Many of these students live in constant fear of detention and deportation if exposed to immigration authority. A denial of access to justice and arbitrary arrests and detention make it very difficult for students and their families to defend their cases, even when they are eligible for asylum, an immigration visa, or another avenue to stay legally in the U.S. While the Department of Homeland Security's Secretary Janet Napolitano has said that DREAM Act students were not the priority when it came to enforcing immigration laws, DREAMers continue to be deported. Most DREAMers never have a fair chance to go before a judge and tell their story before being deported. Without any real avenue to acquire legal status, oftentimes many students who graduate from high school have limited options to continue their studies, or work and stay in the only country they know.

AT: No Solvency Families Deported (1/2)

[__] The DREAM Act protects the human rights of young immigrants and enhances the quality of life for immigrant families through access to educationLoha, Human Right to Housing Director at NESRI, 2012(The National Economic and Social Rights Initiative, Tanuka Loha, Immigrants Rights: DREAM Act, http://www.amnestyusa.org/pdfs/federal_toolkit_final.pdf) Roughly 2.1 million undocumented minors currently reside here they immigrated to the United States with their parents while they were children. Many of these young individuals would like to pursue higher education but often their immigration status, and its implications, stands in the way. This leaves around 65,000 undocumented high school graduates per year struggling to continue with their higher education. Passing the DREAM Act would allow these young members of our communities to realize their human right to access education, secure the unity of their families, and be free from certain forms of discrimination.The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, (S. 952/H.R. 1842), would provide conditional legal status to those currently undocumented young migrants who entered the U.S. before the age of 16, have lived in the U.S. continuously for at least 5 years, and have earned their high school diploma or GED. After 6 years, individuals meeting these criteria will have an opportunity to permanently legalize their status, subject to having a good moral character, completing at least two years of higher education or uniformed service, and meeting additional requirements under the law. Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that Everyone has the right to educationand higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit. Amnesty International stands in solidarity with the DREAMers and DREAM coalitions. Amnesty International has supported the DREAM Act for many years because it advances the right to education for undocumented students in the U.S., many of whom came to this country as small children and have often known no other home. The right to education is guaranteed under international human rights instruments (such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, which the U.S. has signed but not ratified, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which the U.S. played a significant role in drafting). In addition to the international obligations to respect, protect, and fulfill the human rights of all individuals who reside in the U.S., the U.S. Government should uphold the right to education in the interests of combating discrimination and creating an environment in which human rights are respected and can thrive for all after all, our entire society benefits when all members of our communities are able to access education and make their valuable contributions. Education has been a crucial battleground in the fight for human rights in the U.S. for many years - while significant advances have been made to date, many important struggles are clearly still to be won. On June 15, 2012, President Obama announced the Department of Homeland Securitys guidelines on exercising prosecutorial discretion on the detention and deportation of DREAM-eligible students. While this guidance provides temporary relief to many young students, it neither ensures that DREAMers gain equal access to education nor provides a stable and permanent solution for DREAMers and their families. The passing of the 2011 DREAM Act would provide more security for the DREAMers a sizeable part of our population and protect their right to education.

AT: No Solvency Families Deported (2/2)[__] The DREAM Act ensures that human rights abuses are curtailed by maintaining family unity. Ginatta, advocacy director for the US Program at Human Rights Watch, 2010 (US: Senate Should Pass the DREAM Act, http://www.hrw.org/news/2010/11/29/us-senate-should-pass-dream-act)

When facing removal, these young immigrants risk being torn apart from their family. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), a core human rights treaty ratified by the US in 1992, states that "[t]he family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the state."[2] The importance of family unity has been recognized by the US Supreme Court, which has held that the "right to live together as a family" is an important right deserving constitutional protection, and that "the institution of the family is deeply rooted in this Nation's history and tradition."[3] By providing a path to legal status for eligible youth, the DREAM Act recognizes the importance of family bonds. Human Rights Watch strongly believes that passing the DREAM Act would show a commitment by the United States to respect the human rights of immigrant youth who have resided in the country for a considerable amount of time."

AT: Turn Military Coercion[__]

[__] Greater access to college hurts military recruitmentKleykamp, Princeton University, Office of Population Research, 2006(Meredith, Social Science Quarterly, vol. 87, no. 2 June 2006 p.274)Research on educational aspirations consistently shows that a large share of high school students report plans to attend college, and that an even larger share aspires to do so. Rising college enrollments, driven by increased access to higher education by minorities and the rising returns to a college degree, contributed to the growing military recruiting difficulties in the 1990s by drawing a large number of the valued high-quality recruits away from military enlistment and into both two- and four-year colleges (Bachman, Freedman-Doan, and OMalley, 2001). Though enrollments have been increasing over the past decade, the cost of attending college has risen dramatically. Between 1992 and 2001, tuition at a four-year public college rose faster than family income in 41 states (National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, 2002). Financial aid in the form of grants has not kept pace with the increases in tuition, and students are taking on a greater debt load to attend college.

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