North Carolina's ban on undocumented students has prompted a Davidson County teenager (going by the name of Esperanza), to return to Mexico in order to pursue higher education.

Many anti-immigrant activists would hail this as a victory for their side--that denying higher education opportunities for undocumented students prompts a "return flight." However, 1) This is a rare case -- most undocumented students graduate high school or get their bachelors degrees only to stay in the shadows of society and

2) Exporting our young talent and K-12 investment such as Esperanza is a brain drain, and net-loss for the United States. In effect, the United States is saying that it does not need educated, well-adjusted and assimilated, English-speaking immigrants.

Esperanza came here when she was eight and spoke no English. Yet, she made friends and overcame the language barrier, and throughout high school, never scored lower than a B-average. That is exactly the kind of hard-work and dedication that we should be rewarding instead of turning our backs on. 

For many of us who are non-Hispanic or come from poor, impoverished countries thousands of miles away that do not even have institutions of higher education, "going back" is simply not a choice. Hence, we strike a deal with the devil (so to speak) and remain in the waiting rooms of history, awaiting our DREAMs. Nonetheless, we wish Esperanza all the best with her higher education. In the least, her life would no longer be in immigration limbo like the lives of many deserving DREAMers.