Castro: Immigrants of Today are Americans of Tomorrow

Ana Zamora is the kind of girl any parents would be proud to call their daughter. In May, she will graduate from Northwood University in Cedar Hill. She is dedicated, working part-time as a hotel receptionist while going to school. In two years, she plans to attend graduate school with a focus on either education or business.

Zamora is an asset to our nation. Like so many Americans, she works hard, plays by the rules and contributes to our society. But one thing sets her apart - she is a DREAMer. Her parents brought her to the United States when she was less than a year old. It's the only home she's ever known. "The United States is my country," Ana wrote in a letter to President Barack Obama. "It is where I grew up, took my first steps, learned to read, write, play, graduated from high school, and will graduate from college...."

That's why the president has taken the steps he can within his authority. These actions are now under attack by House Republicans, but they have not presented any alternatives to fix the broken system.

Without a doubt, the future of America is intricately tied to immigrant communities, and that future looks bright. In fact, immigrants are making a significant contribution to the housing market and economic recovery. According to a study from the Americas Society/Council for the Americas and the Partnership for a New American Economy, the 40 million immigrants currently in the U.S. have created $3.7 trillion in housing wealth.

But immigrants can contribute even more if the House would enact the bipartisan Senate legislation. Hispanic real estate leaders estimate that if the June 2013 Senate bill were enacted, it would create a new pool of 3 million homeowners and infuse more than $500 billion into the U.S. housing market....

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