The political discourse in the United States and its effects on policies towards undocumented immigrants

• Main Author: Corrada-Rivera, Romulo
• Other Authors: Kozák, Kryštof
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: 2012
• Online Access: http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-304403

In this thesis, I attempt to provide a recount of some proposals that have been discussed and proposed at a federal and state level in the United States, including the DREAM Act. These propositions deal with the young people who came illegally to the U.S. as children and have later graduated from high school to face the reality that they do not have the necessary documents to work, apply for grants or pay resident fees to continue post- secondary studies. Furthermore, as a result of their legal condition, these individuals face the danger of being deported to a country of origin that is in most cases completely strange to them or having to enter the informal economy and all the risks that represents. In addition, I will analyze, using different laws, proposals, scholarly articles as well as diverse public statements, how the conservative sector of US politics has moved to present an extremist opposition to these measures. This radical discourse has prevented the enactment of some of these proposals to address the specific situation of these special unauthorized immigrants. Moreover, I will examine the present situation and potential future possibilities of the policy development process regarding this particular sector of the undocumented immigrants residing in the United States.