You're a great person, free2be. And the perfect example of a DREAMer. The DREAM Act will pass and we'll finally be able to realize our dreams and have the freedom we seek for.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and fears free2be. I hope to read more from you soon.

I understand clearly where you coming from. I came when i was 9 years.I was forced to go because my home in jamaica was unfit for me to live.i also came legally but now i had to pick voulentary departure over a wonderful education as a computer tech and my dream to go to the army.I dont know when i will be able to return but i hope and pray people see the kindness in there hearts and vote and pass this dream act. 

If a law causes injustice it is appropriate to be changed just like how slavery was abolished, voting was restricted by the color of your skin and/or your gender, the simple luxuries of drinking alcohol and voting age changed from 21 to 18 because it was deemed inappropriate for someone to be drafted into the military at 18 while he doesn’t even have the right to vote yet.

Compromises are what enable someone survive in a dire situations. Laws evolve just like how every living thing around us does. If it will benefit the USA in the long run why not permit it? The DREAM ACT if often twisted as a one way deal but rabid naysayers. If they love the country so much why not enrich it with some of the best, the brightest, the bravest and to those willing to be a glimmer of light in these dark dark times.

Fear not my brethren. Even though we are met with a “chorus of cynics”, I have great reason for us to believe, justice will prevail, mired hope will be set free and the dirtied gem that is the American Dream will be put on a pedestal once again to be witnessed again by others who seem to have forgotten her shining glory. The American Dream will be transformed into the American Reality, that will set America apart from the rest of the world as the flag bearer of truth, justice and peace.

Support the DREAM ACT; for the love of truth, justice, peace, country and all things good.

They need to pass the dream act already.

HELLO FREE2BE AND GOOD LUCK.  YOUR STORY IS CREDIBLE, PASSIONATE AND DESERVES FAIRNESS AND JUSTICE.   HOWEVER LET'S BE REALISTIC.   FACE UP TO REAL, REAL, NOT VIRTUAL REALITY.   YOU/YOUR FAMILY  NEED AN IMMMIGRATION ATTORNEY, A LEGAL GLADIATOR, WHO WILL WORK ON YOUR CASE ASSIDIOUSLY AND WITH DEVOTION, NOT LEGAL AID OR CHIRCHES, THOUGH THEY MEAN WELL BUT ARE NEITHER EFFECTIVE NOR TRAINED IN THE COMPLEXITY OF IMMIGRATION LAW AND PROCEDURE.    AGAIN, GODD LUCK AND GOD BLESS.

WILLIAM 

ENTHUSIASM IS CONTAGEOUS BUT COOL HEADS WIN AT THE END OF THE DAY.    SUPPORT THE "DREAM ACT" WITH LOGIC AND COOL OBJECTIVITY.

WILLIAM   

well written I liked it alot

its a wonderful piece, truly touched by it. more and more people need to start realizing that we are all educated young adults, who will contribute more positive things then negative.

I guess I just don't understand the Dream Act.  Foreign students are foreign students.  They don't receive the benefit of the instate tuition rate that legal state residents enjoy.  if a state, a nation, a people, can not subsidize the education of their own, what kind of future is in store for such a nation? 

As a note to future commenters, I will be especially watchful of DREAMer guest post threads.  Again, this is a pro-migrant space.  I am open to respectful, thoughtful argumentation.  I am not receptive to the cut and paste comments that tend to populate any immigration news article at any paper in the country. 

"Your parent screwed you by bringing you here illegally. The United States has nothing to do with that and no reason to hand you citizenship because your parents are criminals.

Go to the country in which you belong. Your parents can send you remittances from their illegal work here. You can have a real life and it could be a great adventure. Or you could hang around here and cry for the rest of your life because the DREAM Act is going nowhere."

Brenda - You have no right to be utterly disrespectful and absolutely no right to call my parents criminals, as there were no felonies committed, or to equate them with true criminals as say murderers.

The U.S is the country in which I belong and is the country in which I will stay and contribute to. That is my truth, and I don't ever remember asking you to determine where my path in life will lead.

You obviously don't understand the situation, my situation, and I surely do not owe you an explanation.

Dear Free2Be
Yes, your plight is an unfortunate one.
But an even more unfortunate plight is that of your fellow Nigerians who aren't willing to break US laws, but instead are doing what's necessary to immigrate legally to the US. My sympathies lie with them. If Dream act were to pass, you'll just be pushing them further back in the already lengthy legal immigration line. Now do you really want to do that to people just as hardworking, intelligent, and motivated as you are to live the "Dream"?
 As I see it, not only do you have no right to benefit further from the illegal action of your parents, you also have no inherent right to place yourself  at the head of the immigration line your law abiding Nigerian countryfolk have been patiently waiting in.

Discrimination is discrimination, you have no right to practice it either, however emotionally you want to dress it up.

I will never reward your parents for the abuse they perpetuated in your name. If you are psychologically damaged by your predicament, your touching appeal and attempt for remediation is best pointed in their direction.

Free2be,
though I do not know you, your story brought tears to my eyes...its as if we've lived the same life, same emotion, same struggles..you need not to aspire to be an independent, strong woman because you already are! Though I know what you mean and where you are coming from, you have already accomplished in a few years what many dont acquire in a lifetime: you are strong, determined, independent and will one day attain that freedom that seems so far away and impossible at the moment. Thank you for sharing your story, and fear not one day we will rise from the ashes... :]

Dear Free2Be,

You've taken it upon yourself to write about your status as an illegal immigrant and place that information on this site.  By doing so you've exposed yourself to critical viewpoints and critisizm.  You should have expected that so I don't understand your outrage and anger at some of the comments on the site.  Yes, some of them may not have been very sympathic.  But you should also understand that illegal immigration is a very, very hot topic for many Americans.  Over the last 20 years, the U.S. has experienced a huge jump in the number of immigrants, legal and illegal.  In just over a decade, the U.S. population increased by over 10 million people.  That's more than 1 million people a year.  In the past, it took 50 years to increase by 10 million people.  Not to mention the incredible number of people coming into the country illegally.  Whether by crossing the southern border or coming by plane on a student/visitor visa and not returning home.  This country is having an enormous problem with illegal immigration.  

U.S. citizens are truly feeling put upon.  Our jobs are being taken over, affordable housing is getting harder to find, schools are being filled with children who can't read or write in English.  We are being made to educate the children of people who have broken our laws.  And we are being made to educate them with our tax money!  When in many cases, their own parents hold jobs where they are paid "under-the-table" and do not pay taxes in proportion to educate their own children.  We see illegal immigrants deflate wages, drink and drive, use illegal social security numbers, pay no taxes - the list of illegal actions is too long to mention here.  The U.S. citizen asks "where is the rule of law"?  But somehow we are the bad guys because we ask that our country and its law be respected.  The U.S. has have over 7 amnesties in the past 30 years.  This has allowed untold millions of illegal persons to stay and become citizens.  Yet, people keep coming and demanding more and more.  How many more amnesties can the U.S. citizen allow?  When is it the responsibility of your country and the countries of other illegals to care for their own citizens and stop pushing them to the U.S?  Everyone thinks the U.S. is supposed to take everyone else's problems.  We are tired and overwhelmed, and we can't take any more. 

You wrote that your family was from Nigeria.  We all know that there is a lot of conflict in many African countries.  Right now Zimbabwe is experiencing incredible inflation, diease, corruption and lack of food caused by a corrupt leader.  Millions from  Zimbabwe are flooding across the border into South Africa.  This is causing a lot of conflict in southern africa.  South Africans are lashing out against people from Zimbabwe because they see the competiton for jobs, housing, food, etc.  South Africans are angry that their country is being overwhelmed while they suffer.  What if you were South African, how would you feel to see your country overrun?  Can't you have any compassion and understanding for the U.S. citizen?  How would you feel if you saw Nigeria being overwhelmed by citizens from other African countries?  The U.S. is a compassionate country but we cannot take every one who wants to come here - because 90 percent of the world wants to come to the U.S.!!  

I'm not surprised that you are from Nigeria.  Illegal immigrants in the U.S. are from every country on earth, but Mexicans constitute the largest number of illegal immigrants in the U.S.  I have several friends from Jamaica and I see and read every day the number of Jamaicans who are deported back to Jamaica.  They come to the U.S. illegally for jobs, education, the same reasons as others do - but again- that still doesn't make it right.  Some are deported because they get caught commiting crime, wether it be drug possession, robbery, or other crime.  I have no problem with that.  I think if you are in another country illegally the least you could do would be to keep yourself out of trouble.  By the way, do you think that everyone (incuding illegal immigrants who commit crime should be allowed to stay in the U.S.?)

I think sometimes people who do wrong and know what they've done is wrong have a way of trying to justify their actions - even going so far as to blame the victim.  I think that may be what you and your parents are doing - you are blaming the U.S. for your actions.  

No country on the face of the earth - no matter how rich or poor can continue to take in millions upon millions of the citizens of other countries - no matter what country they come from.  U.S. citizens were brought up with the understanding of the "rule of law" which says that no matter the circumstances, the law is the law and you can't and shouldn't make exceptions because sooner or later the law will be meaningless.  I'm sure one of the reasons your family came to the U.S. was to escape the corruption in Nigeria.  But by bringing you here illegally, your parents are continuing the corruption they were trying to escape.  You wrote that you didn't consider yourself to be "illegal."   I've read those slogans "No human being is illegal."  Well, you may not be "illegal" but you are in the U.S. illegally.    

Yes, your parents brought you here when you were young and allowed you to overstay your visa.  That was wrong on their part - I don't care how you feel about it. Again, some people may have seemed a little too blunt in their comments on the site, but again, Americans have really had it up to here with being taken advantage of.  I'm sure your parents knew what they were doing when they brought here and didn't renew your visa or return you to Nigeria.  Your anger about your circumstances should be directed towards them, not the U.S. government or persons on this board.  Your parents probably thought sooner or later there would be another amnesty or you would somehow legalize yourself.  Either by marriage to a U.S. citizen, applying for citizenship yourself or go back to Nigeria.  Nigerians are known around the world as some fo the most corrupt people on earth, maybe they were doing what they normally would have done at home in Nigeria - thinking in a very corrupt manner that they could just get away with having their child in the U.S. illegally.  And finally, maybe because they brought you here at such a young age, your parents thought that they would deal with your status at a later date.  Later is now and you are stuck with no government aid for college and you are seeing doors being closed because of your illegal status.  Again, don't blame the U.S. government or it citizens, your situation should be placed squarely on the shoulders of your parents.  If it were up to me, you would be considered a citizen of Nigeria (which you are) and I would deport you back to Nigeria.  

I'm sure you and your parents are a good people, but good people can also make mistakes that can come back to haunt them.  I believe that all illegals should be deported, I believe that in order to be considered a U.S. citizen both parents should be U.S. citizens (no anchor babies).  I believe in the rule of law - it is there to protect everyone, the rich and the poor.  I believe in jobs only for U.S. citizens and no more amnesties.  I hope that the Dream Act doesn't pass.  I will be writing my Congressman to express my feelings that no U.S. government tax dollars be used to provide a college education for children who are in the country illegally. 

Peterson,

It is so sad to read your post, that anger that fuels your words must have some justification.  You are being unreasonable here.  If Free2B was to be granted a green card at the time of college graduation it would open her many doors for an amazing future here in her, yours, and my homeland (the land we call home). She would be able to begin her career and be an asset to our country and society. HOW DOES THAT AFFECT YOU IN ANY NEGATIVE WAY?

If you are here to fight about illegal immigration and the negative results of it (without even looking at any of the positive ones as what Free2B can do for our country), then you do not belong here.  Having freedom of speech does not mean that you can come here and post all sorts of negative and hateful remarks. You said "I believe that all illegals should be deported, I believe that in order to be considered a U.S. citizen both parents should be U.S. citizens (no anchor babies).  I believe in the rule of law"... your beliefs are what will hold you from your potential as a humane being.  Any baby born in the USA is legally a citizen and THAT is the rule of law here. You do not seem to be able to abide by the establised laws nor any new ones that object to your "believe(s)" - how unfortunate.
You simply say what you say because you feel hate against the group that Free2B represents. If she was your next-door neighbor and could help beautify your mutual community with the earnings of her new career why would you not want that? You seem not to care and just want her out of "your" community - PITY!

The Dream Act makes sense, and politicians can use their good judgement, they WILL pass this bill/amendment. It may not be the RIGHT thing to do in your view, but it is the SMART thing to do for our country's present and future.

Free2be

My previous post sounded harsh I'm sure. I think R. Peterson clarified well where that harsh tone comes from.
 I have two daughters in your age group. If they were to bring you to my home for dinner, I'm sure I would see you as the good,bright young woman you sound to be, certainly not as "an illegal".
But life throws us some harsh lessons occasionally, and this may be yours. I would truly like to remind you that none of your effort,  achievement, or idealism/dreams need go to waste if you return to Nigeria. You have already received an opportunity which many Nigerians have died while waiting for.
 Nothing can prevent you from realizing  your dreams unless you give up on them, and THAT is  the "secret" to being "an American" . You already have the American spirit, something no piece of paper or any congressional act will EVER give you. Think about it. My friend from China told me the character for 'crisis' is also the character for 'opportunity'.
You can help your fellow Nigerian citizens learn English, or maybe about other aspects of life in the USA, or at least improve something while you prepare to return here with your head held high.
 I'm sure you have many friends and supporters here and we're mostly all connected by the internet anyway. Maybe you could have a bunch of American friends come to Nigeria to help with projects you create-thats not so hard to do anymore, and I'm sure many would jump at the chance. You would be providing opportunity for them as well.

For the record, I am and always have been pro-immigration. I'm just not pro-illegal immigration.

Jess, you sound like a young person too, and maybe you don't realize that for every 1  potentially contribuing young person like free2be there are numerous others who aren't, who also arrived here and stayed illegally with their parents.

And at least in California, we simply can't afford any more, our state is literally on the verge of bankruptcy as it is,and  a ridiculously large percentage is due to the staggering illegal immigrant population we have who are receiving expensive health and other benefits.

My local emergency department/hospital has almost shut down 3 times in the past 6 years largely because of unreimbursed expenses from treating illegal immigrants. It just changed hands again. Where are my own kids  supposed to go when it shuts down for good?

 Many  people believe illegal aliens don't receive "health benefits", because they don't qualify for TANF or medi-cal. But I assure you they do.

For example, who do you think is paying for the illegal immigrant children with developmental disabilities who are in placement somewhere, or at minimum require intensive educational and community supports and services.What's the humanitarian thing to do with them when they turn 18? Who do you think pays for their very expensive care?
How about the mentally ill/SED?  Do we just plop a 12 year old who is severely emotionally disturbed on a bus/plane back to wherever? Do you know how very few inpatient facility slots there are for SED children?-they are all closing because they are bankrupt.
In my public agency we are mandated to serve the indigent,  can't ask for proof of legal status or SSN in a crisis. We saw three undocumented with MH issues just yesterday--all required emergency department hospitalization, two brought in by police. Two went to psychiatric hospitals, likely for a couple of weeks. Just these three are likely to cost in excess of $100,000. in medical services by the time they are restored to semi-functioning status at the end of the month. And this doesn't include after-care, medications, or possible placement in a less-restrictive therapeutic residential setting.
By the way, my agency is the only one in California that hasn't laid anyone off or skeletonized its services, and that's only because we were severely underfunded and staffed to begin with.
 Approving the additional benefits requested by the Dream Act may help free2be and "64,999" others to become taxpayers, but those taxes have already been spent! Remember the federal budget Deficit? It hasn't gone away! The reality is America itself is close to bankruptcy.
Approving the Dream Act would send the wrong message to the parents of the world's children, and put countless more children at risk.  It is not our responsibility to take care of them all. No matter how bright they may be,  when we didn't invite them to come here to begin with, and never promised them anything.

@ R. Peterson:

"You've taken it upon yourself to write about your status as an illegal immigrant and place that information on this site.  By doing so you've exposed yourself to critical viewpoints and critisizm.  You should have expected that so I don't understand your outrage and anger at some of the comments on the site.  Yes, some of them may not have been very sympathic.  But you should also understand that illegal immigration is a very, very hot topic for many Americans."


I do understand the ramifications that come with telling our stories. I’m not naïve enough to assume that all comments would have been positive. I have no problem with dissenting opinions, as long as they are made respectfully. Calling my parents criminals, virtually equating them with people who have done far, far worse, is not respectful, no matter what the topic at hand. I believe that comment crossed the line, though you may see nothing wrong with such rhetoric – to each his own.


I also ask you to realize that because immigration is such a controversial topic, we as DREAMers have to deal with hateful, racist and downright cruel comments from some people. We accept it, but we also remain on the defensive. I am rather thankful for the intelligent and articulate comments so far, including yours, as they are very rare. This problem will never be solved without open discourse, and “illegal is illegal” and “deport them all” do not qualify as open discourse.

I think your story is amazing because it reminds me so much of mine. I am also an undocumented student and I can certainly relate to your frustration and fears. You stay positive and hopeful because one day our dreams will become a reality. We have done nothing wrong by obeying our parents, and they have done nothing wrong by wanting a better future for us. We, DREAMers, only want a bright future and we will succeed one day. I am hopeful and nothing or no one can take that or my education away from me.