US Presidency
2011

If we take these steps - â€“ if we raise expectations for every child, and give them the best possible chance at an education, from the day they are born until the last job they take â€“ - we will reach the goal that I set two years ago: By the end of the decade, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world. One last point about education. Today, there are hundreds of thousands of students excelling in our schools who are not American citizens. Some are the children of undocumented workers, who had nothing to do with the actions of their parents. They grew up as Americans and pledge allegiance to our flag, and yet they live every day with the threat of deportation. Others come here from abroad to study in our colleges and universities. But as soon as they obtain advanced degrees, we send them back home to compete against us. It makes no sense.