Yesterday, the Oakland City Council joined a growing list of city councils in approving a resolution in support of the DREAM Act.

Oakland also became only the third city in the United States to approve residential ID cards for all residents regardless of immigration status.

The DREAM Act push came from Vice Mayor Ignacio De La Fue and won unanimous approval.

The report prepared by Ms. Schaff mentioned positive impacts with no negative impacts of the DREAM Act:

Positive Factors for Oakland
Each year 65,000 undocumented students, who have lived in the United States for over five years, graduate from American high schools. Many of these smdents live in Oakland, California. These students face overwhelming obstacles in accessing higher education due to their immigration status, which makes them ineligible for federal financial aid and requires them to pay out-of-state tuition for those attending state universities despite their long-term residency within our country. There are many of these children from Oakland and surrounding communities in our public schools, and many of them drop out of high school, and are discouraged from studying because they see no value in pursuing higher education because of their immigration status.

These children came to the United States due to their parents’ actions and did not take part in any decision to circumvent the immigration laws of this country. Most of these children, having been raised and educated in the United States, view themselves as “Americans” and have the same dreams, goals and aspirations as other American children. Undocumented immigrants make vital contributions to the economic stability and cultural richness of the United States, yet remain vulnerable to exploitation, victimization and stigmatization as long as they are denied legal immigration status and meaningful access to higher education.

The United States Supreme Court has determined that every state has a constitutional obligation to provide free public primary and secondary education to all children residing within their borders regardless of their immigration status. Federal standards and accountability requirements imposed on elementary and secondary education institutions necessarily entail a federal commitment to education, including the assurance of meaningful access to higher education.

California, on average, invests upward of $7,000 each year for each of its public school students. A high school diploma and the lack of legal immigration status condemn undocumented students to a life of underemployment, instability and unfulfilled potential. Access to higher education will allow these students to break the bonds of poverty, to raise the level of esteem in which they are held by our society and to make full contribution to our country’s civic, political and economic well-being. The DREAM Act would remedy this situation by allowing undocumented students who have lived in the United States for at least five years and have graduated high school or received a graduate equivalency diploma (GED) to legalize their immigration status, thereby making them eligible for Federal financial aid, and allow states to consider these students as state residents for tuition purposes at state universities.

Negative Factors for Oakland None.

There were no opposing bodies at this event. Oakland, California now joins the City of East Chicago, Indiana and 8 more cities in Los Angeles County in proclaiming support for the DREAM Act.

The relevant file, including the resolution and attached supplementary material is here.