UCLA Chancellor Gene Block urges passage of Dream Act [Updated]

As Congress nears a showdown on legislation to legalize undocumented young people who attend college or join the military, UCLA Chancellor Gene Block on Friday urged passage of the measure, saying the nation needed their skills in an increasingly competitive globalized economy.

"We're in an international marketplace that is extraordinarily competitive," Block said in a White House teleconference featuring Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and other university heads. "We've got to make sure that every single one of our young people have an opportunity to contribute to our competitive advantage."

Locke said immigrant entrepreneurs have accounted for a quarter of all venture-capital-backed companies that have gone public in the last 15 years.

The teleconference was part of escalating advocacy on both sides involving the legislation, known as the Dream Act.

With a comprehensive overhaul of the immigration system dead for now, the Dream Act is seen as the best chance to win legal status for at least some undocumented migrants before Republicans take control of the House of Representatives in January.

Most Republicans oppose the act as unjustified "amnesty" for lawbreakers or say no legalization should be considered until the border is secured.

Democratic leaders say they intend to bring the bill to a vote in the next few days, but Republicans are vowing to block any consideration until George W. Bush-era tax cuts are extended.

To win more Republican support, particularly in agricultural states, California legislators are angling to add to the Dream Act provisions to grant legal status to undocumented farm workers.

Meanwhile, in a long-awaited cost estimate released Thursday, the Congressional Budget Office estimated the Dream Act would increase tax revenues by $2.3 billion and increase spending on social services by $912 million.

That would result in a net reduction in the federal deficit by about $1.4 billion over 10 years, the CBO said. The estimate was based on 1.1 million legalized migrants.

However, the analysis found that spending on social services would "significantly" increase after 10 years, when the newly legalized migrants would be eligible for green cards and, after that, citizenship.

The added costs of their health insurance, Medicaid and nutrition assistance would increase projected deficits by more than $5 billion after 2021, the estimate found.

But Steven Camarota of the conservative Center for Immigration Studies in Washington said the larger public expense would fall on state and local governments for educational spending. In a new analysis, he estimated that each newly legalized migrant who attends a public university or college would receive a tuition subsidy of nearly $6,000, for a total annual cost of $6.2 billion.

California educational leaders said, however, that they did not expect a major effect on their budgets and enrollment.

The public subsidy per California-resident student at UCLA, for instance, amounts to more than $20,000, and at California community colleges about $5,800, based on the difference between in-state and out-of-state fees and tuition.

But enrollment is limited at the highly selective UCLA. And although California residents are automatically granted admission to community colleges, access to classes is limited by state funding caps.

Last year, for instance, the state reimbursed the community colleges for only about 2.6 million of 2.8 million students served, leading the system to accommodate 200,000 students with larger classes, budget reserves and other measures, and to turn 140,000 others away, according to Terri Carbaugh, community colleges spokeswoman.

She added that continuing students have priority for classes, which would put newly enrolled Dream Act students at the back of the line. [Updated at 1:08 p.m.: A previous version of this post excluded the words "newly enrolled;" they were added to clarify which students would be put at the back of the line.]

She and Block said the biggest effect would be to give Dream Act students the chance to legally work and obtain federal student loans, which would help them pursue and pay for higher education.

"These students are here, whether we educate them or not" Block said. "Let's educate them."

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Comments

[link]

Who pays for their education, and living expenses now? I'm confused.

[ENOUGH]

what, Mr Blockhead, who states that we need additional degreeded young people for the job market,Sir Blockhead, we have plenty of degreeded professionals we have no jobs for them, how about taking care of ameruican students and job seekers before you start trying to save third world counties students, Liberal jerk

[Carol]

Let's send them back where they came from instead. They've victimized U.S. taxpayers for decades through welfare abuse, identity theft and tax evasion. I am a single mother who supported my family without leeching off others, so I know it can be done.

[obama]

I support the dream act only if the student has lived in the state they plan on attending college in, for at least 5 years and no violent crime convictions.also no financial aid . If you want to live the DREAM , then pay for it with money earned. No handouts.

[Kittybarfola]

"UCLA Chancellor Gene Block on Friday urged passage of the measure, saying the nation needed their skills in an increasingly competitive globalized economy."

What a crock. What he really means is they are good for cheap labor. Does he think that illegals are welcome with the recession and unemployment at 9.8%? Talk about blowing smoke up ones @ss.

How do the LEGAL residents that are taking classes at your university (and probably on standby lists) have to now compete with illegals for spots classes too? How can they afford it anyway? It's bad enough that they are siphoning taxpayer benefits without giving back, now you want them to further receive more benefits in the form of financial aid?

[Tonyyy]

Kudos to Chancellor Block for backing these American kids who are forced to live in limbo because they are not officially recognized as U.S. citizens. They're not being citizens is simply a terrible technicality. Anyone brought to the U.S. as a minor, who has lived here their entire life is an American. Just hang out with some of these kids and see for yourself how American they are. As a nation that prides itself on compassion and one that strives to help victims of tragedies throughout the world, it's a shame that so many Americans want to do such a non compassionate deed as to send people who have lived in this country since childhood, with no say in the matter, to a country where they would be complete foreigners.

[LilySweet]

Tonyyyy (and bruin Blockhead) I can see everyday just how American these "kids" are as they drive cars with Mexican flags on them while wearing Che Guevara shirts and speaking spanish instead of English about reclaiming their ancestor's land. Yep, that sounds like an American. NO DREAM ACT! Noooo!

[Delaware Bob]

Here's a novel idea. Why don't these illegal aliens take this education that the American taxpayers paid for and go back to their own country where they belong. Their parents bought them here ILLEGALLY and we are suppose to give them amnesty? What do we look like, FOOLS? Don't be fooled. This amnesty will cost the American taxpayers BILLIONS, and we are broke. Forget this stupid dream act and get the immigration laws ENFORCED! Illegal aliens are breaking the law everyday they are here.

[Steve Rodriguez]

Mayor Villar should be impeached for spending millions of tax payers dollars on illegal immigrants in Los Angeles.

[Maya Y]

Millions of Americans out of work, entire families homeless sleeping in cars and shelters. Our citizens have not suffered like this since the great depression! And what are the democrats trying to push through congress at this time? Why its gays in the military and amnesties for ILLEGAL aliens. Sometimes it feels like I'm living in the Twilight Zone!

[UCLA Senior]

It is apparent that ENOUGH isn't one of the "degreeded ameruicans" flooding the job market. Hahaha!

Thank you Chancellor for supporting the Dream Act. Many of my most brilliant and inspiring classmates have been brought to this country by their families to not only live the American dream, but to contribute to the fabric of our society.

Go Bruins!

[mike]

Mexico is collapsing at this very moment. Why are we tying ouselves to their fate? We need to station 30,000 troops on the southern border and help them build their OWN country, instead of granting them amnesty for pouring into this country illegally. I can see no better way to destroy the fabric of this nation than to encourage people from Third World countries to come here and have as many kids as Americans will pay to educate. Why do ordinary Americans have to take pay cuts in agriculture, construction, manufacturing and the food industry because their is so much competition from illegal aliens that will work for half as much? Thanks for nothing Congress.

[mike]

California is collapsing under the weight of illegal immigration. Illegal immigrants get $11.5 billion of California taxpayer money every year. If California deported its illegal immigrants, it would not have a budget deficit this year. It would be balanced in the bad years and we would have an extra $11.5 billion to rebuild the roads, parks, schools. There are so many illegal immigrants in the schools that virtually every school in California has portable trailers in the school yard to keep up with the people that pour in every day. When I was born, California ranked 7th in education nationwide. Now, California is 49th, Arizona is 50th. Mexican political parties (PRI)began setting up offices in a dozen US states. Alarm bells should be going off. If you think California, the state with the greatest illegal immigrant population, can handle all these folks, then why is it in the worst position financially and the second worst educationally?

[mike]

These kids are not victims. Most of them know they are here illegally, along with their relatives. Once they turn 18 they can join the military or go back to their country of ORIGIN and apply legally like the hundreds of thousands of people that do it LEGALLY every year. No country in the world would give me what you are proposing we give these people illegally. We need to stop encouraging this behavior. Amnesty didn't work when Reagan handed it out to 2 million Mexicans in the 80's; it compounded the immigration problem by a factor of 10. Do you thin the Dream Act will encourage a greater illegal stampede north to our border? It will. I fail to see how this helps any Americans that are not illegal immigrants. I see tens of billions in new taxes or debt to pay for this. This will not help America.

[Anna]

It;s about time for you liberal dirt bags to open your own wallet and pay a liberal enabler tax! Next you need to move right beside the garbage dump they created or move them right beside your ivory towers you live in...

[54465446]

Chancellor Block's position is understandable. College and universitiy tuitions have risen at an astounding rate, much higher than the national rate of inflation. Because guaranteed loans are available for prospective students, there is no need for that situation to change. However, much like a Ponzi scheme, that situation requires a constant influx of new students to support the fiscal structure. Mr. Block is attempting to secure that revenue stream.

The ironic thing is however, that he and other chancellors will be sorely mistaken. There is nothing in the bill, any of the several versions of it, that REQUIRES apllicants to have attended physical campuses of 4 year universities. This is not only the Dream Act for appllicants, but for the online diploma mills who will reap 80-85% of the individuals. For most, the cost is much cheaper than a UCLA education, and it will not diminsh their existing work schedule. The low tuition will really be just like a documentation fee to get residency.

Some other day we can get into enforcement, and the fact that nothing more than swearing you have graduated high school will be required, or the difficulties in proving the ages of people who don't have US birth certificates.

[NoAmnesty]

"We've got to make sure that every single one of our young people have an opportunity to contribute to our competitive advantage."
How can you say "our" people? Our people are American citizens. These kids are not citizens and should not take spots of American kids.
We should not reward illegals just because they have not been caught. If we would mandate that potential students show legal citizen status prior to enrolling we wouldn't have this problem.
Can we deport all illegals. Yes, but would be costly. If we deny education, social programs, automatic citizenship for kids of illegal parents, and not reward with amnesty ("dream act") these illegals will self deport.

[cyle]

No Dream Act Please. I have had enough. Let's give our resources and land back to Americans. Please go back and help your country of origin or apply for legal citizenship like EVERYONE else. You are not entitled to citizenship because you illegally snuck in and have yet to be caught. Not getting caught for a crime is not the same as being innocent. I would not be allowed to sneak into Mexico and get a world class education and citizenship for free. This is NONSENSE.

[Maggy]

There needs to be something to be done with these students. They work so hard to be where they are now. It's unfair that they can't go to college or work because they lack of papers. It's time for a time, make the Dream Act a reality. And for you people out there, you don't know how it feels to work so hard for something you can't have. You don't know it feels to be neglect of something you deserve... These students don't have to be punish because of what their parents did.

[CitizensFirst]

Chancellor Block has no right to force others to pay for his ultra-liberal views.

Have the 20,000 UCLA students who do not get financial aid and who now pay about $300 extra tuition per year for the limited number of current illegal immigrants backed Chancellor Block’s plan to fund the higher education of even more illegal immigrants?

Each illegal immigrant who does not pay out-of-state tuition costs $20,000 extra and there are 300 currently in attendance at UCLA. That is $6 million that has to be made up by increasing tuition. Financial aid costs, which UC cannot afford, are passed on to half of the 40,000 students who presumably can afford to pay. These costs account for 33% of tuition. http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/24527

How will the “paying” students, those who do not get financial aid to offset increased tuition, be able to pay back their student loans with millions of new green cards distributed to illegal aliens under 35 years old? Graduates face a grim job market and a college degree is no guarantee of a good paying job.

Chancellor Block should keep his political views private and not let them affect his job performance. His disregard for the rule of law and student’s pocketbooks is appalling.

[Maria]

Today is the anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day, a day when 2,000 Americans were slaughtered by a ruthless enemy. As our parents and grandparents fought for our land against a determined enemy, today we are called to do the same. This time, however, our enemies are within our own borders, and have the gall to call themselves Americans. They are people like Chancellor Block, who prefer to support the interests of foreign lawbreakers over the interests of hardworking, over-taxed American citizens.

Tomorrow, Wednesday December 8, Reid and Pelosi will bring the Dream Act up for a vote in Congress. Contact your Senators and Congressman TODAY and tell them to vote "no" on providing more freebies, favors and benefits to foreign lawbreakers at the expense of American citizens.

History shows that the more freebies, bennies, and favors we provide, the more will come.

[Joanne]

The supporters of the Dream Act are saying that it's not fair to penalize the children for their parents' decision. Doesn't that apply to just about everything in life? Is it my children's fault that they weren't born to millionaire parents? Is it the fault of impoverished children in Third World countries that they were born there instead of in wealthier countries? Is it the fault of the starving children in North Korean that they were born into such oppression?

We make do with what we are given in life. If their parents decided to break the law and come into this country illegally, then, as unfair as it seems, the children have to live with it and pay the price.

[Andrew]

FYI..All of you look like ignorants saying non sence.

Be inform!!!

Illigal immigrants pay taxes with TAX ID No.

If students are accepted to UCLA is because they are VERY smart and involved in our communities. They go and serve the elderly and homeless, without getting anything in return.

Stop Hating.. YES TO DREAM ACT. YES TO MAKING A DIFERENCE!