DREAM Act a Nightmare for America
by Virgil Goode
09/21/2010
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D.-Nev.) announced last week he would tack on the DREAM Act on to a defense appropriations bill. A cloture vote on the act is expected this afternoon.
The DREAM Act grants amnesty to illegal aliens who claim they came to this country before the age of 16 and also claim they will join the military or enroll in college.
Even to the vast majority of Americans who oppose a blanket amnesty, the DREAM Act might appear reasonable at first glance. It is hard to blame illegal aliens who were brought to this country as children for their current status. With additional requirements such as higher education, it seemingly only applies to a few of the best and brightest.
However, the DREAM Act is much more expansive than its supporters make it out to be, is filled with loopholes, and has a directly negative effect on young American citizens.
Harry Reid said that the DREAM Act will “ensure that millions of children who grow up as Americans will be able to get the education they need to contribute to our economy.” DREAM Act advocates often claim the number of eligible illegal aliens would be a small fraction of this. Sen. Richard Durbin (D.-Ill.) claimed that only 38% of those eligible would get amnesty.
In July, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R.-Iowa) discovered a memo from Denise Vanison, Obama’s chief of policy and strategy for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, entitled “Administrative Alternatives to Comprehensive Immigration Reform.”
The memo discussed various ways the White House could enact an amnesty by Executive Order through “deferred action.” Vanison writes, “Rather than making deferred action widely available to hundreds of thousands and as a non-legislative version of ‘amnesty,’ USCIS could tailor the use of this discretionary option for particular groups such as individuals who would be eligible for relief under the DREAM Act (an estimated 50,000).”
So how many people will get the DREAM Act? 50,000 children? Millions of children? Actually, it will be available to millions of adults.
Approximately 50,000 to 70,000 illegal immigrants graduate from high school each year, and not all of them have been here for five years or would attend college. If the DREAM Act were limited to its supposed intended purpose, at most a few hundred thousand illegal aliens would be eligible.
However, the DREAM Act is much more expansive than it appears. Anyone up to the age of 35 who claims they came here before age 16 can apply for amnesty. Because illegal aliens are, as the media likes to call them, “undocumented,” anyone can claim to have come here before they were 16 and we have no way to make sure they are telling the truth.
In fact, illegal aliens do not need to attend college or join the military to receive legal status, they simply need to affirm that they intend to do so during the next six years. In order to receive legal status, they do not need to show they are of “good moral character” and can be convicted criminals.
There are many other loopholes, invitations to fraud, and troublesome provisions hidden into the DREAM Act such as repealing the ban on in-state tuition for illegal aliens. Those who receive amnesty can sponsor their family members who brought them to this country illegally.
Even if the DREAM Act were only applicable to truly college-bound illegal aliens, there are still many reasons to oppose it. The recession hit young Americans especially hard. Seventy percent of high school graduates from 2009 are currently enrolled in college, the highest level in history. With admissions becoming more competitive and tuition skyrocketing, the last thing we need is tens of thousands of illegal aliens applying for college—many of whom will be eligible for both affirmative action and in-state tuition.
The high college enrollment rate is not necessarily cause for celebration because it is caused in part by the lack of jobs for high school graduates. Thirty percent of high school graduates not enrolled in college are out of the workforce. Illegal aliens amnestied under the DREAM Act will get work visas, not just education visas, so they will be competing directly against these Americans for the few jobs available to them.
No one wants to punish children because their parents brought them to this country illegally. But this consideration does not give them a right to live in this country, compete with Americans for our limited jobs, and attend public colleges with in-state tuition.
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Mr. Goode represented Virginia's 5th Congressional District from 1997 through 2009.
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Reader Comments: (29)
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Please remember the opinions expressed by our readers are in no way those of Human Events, nor are they condoned by us, and we reserve the right to remove abusive posts.Report Abusive Post
Any bill Harry Reid supports is a "Nightmare for America". I trust his judgment about as far as I can throw the state of Nevada. He`s the reason I no longer trust any politician and it`ll be generations before I regain that trust, if I live that long.
Sep 21, 2010 @ 04:46 AM
Jrod, Las Vegas
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This is more business as usual for the Obama administration. If your bills aren't passing the smill test with the electorate, re-name them and present them as something new. If that doesn't work attach them to another bill that is benign and accuse the opponents of not supporting the original bill even though they do support it, just not with your mischief attached to it. If all else fails, make it a presidential order. After all, these ignorant people should recognize that you know what is best for them.
Sep 21, 2010 @ 07:45 AM
Frank Lloyd Right, New York
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---ACROSS THE POLITICAL BOARDS the illegal labor
and borders 'issue' is being flagrantly manipulated
and balked.
NO ONE is being identified, outted, fined or
denounced for 'using' the unserviced, untaxed,
underpaid illegal labor. NO ONE!
BIG MONEY wants the borders melted and the
entire north american land mass as one homogenized
easily managed franshise-slum.
GLOBALIST PC biz-nilist sellouts want the turmoil
as a welcome smokescreen and distraction from the VIRAL
issue of their 4 decades of sellout to history's
--MOST-- awesonmely genocidal regime ACROSS the
Pacific.
MEANWHILE, Bill Gates himself is soft-selling
selective extermination of the old and infirm
in the name of 'efficiency and savings' ---which
is greeted with ho-hum deliberation by our 'daring'
press.
EVEN AS estimates for our 'fave' creditor's
'peacetime' genocide NOW surge well beyond
80 MILLION.
---SO
-----enjoy your football and nachos
------NOT!
LOL!!!
Sep 21, 2010 @ 08:36 AM
ttt 2010, new york
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I told you gringos we would get amnesty for our undocumented regardless of hat you white boys wanted. La Raza is the future.
Sep 21, 2010 @ 08:47 AM
el diablo, Where gringos dare to roam
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Amnesty no. Deportation yes.
Hire unemployed Americans as immigration officers to guard the borders and to find, capture, and deport illegals. Offer citizens $2,500 rewards for tips leading to the capture of illegals. Offer $5,000 rewards for turning in employers who hire illegals. Create a nation wide job web site that lists jobs formerly held by illegals. Watch unemployment figures plummet.
Change the citizen law so that children born of illegals are illegals. Make the law retroactive.
Make it a law that if you are caught in the U.S. illegally you will never be able to become a U.S. citizen.
Reverse the supereme court ruling that requires schools to educate illegals.
Make it clear to those who chose to ignore our laws and our borders that they are unwelcome.
Sep 21, 2010 @ 09:34 AM
Timothy, Olympia
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Sep 21, 2010 @ 09:34 AM
Timothy, Olympia
Amnesty no. Deportation yes
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Well I'll be. You finally said something we both can agree on.
Sep 21, 2010 @ 09:40 AM
Dustoff, WA state
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Oh if only Ronald Reagan was here. He could give amnesty and it would be a great idea.
Oh it was great then in the 1980 when Reagan granted amnesty to 3 million illegals. It made a lot of folks richer by forcing down salaries, shrinking the unions and started the decline of the middle class. The first group hit were the blacks, but who cares about them. The illegals do the jobs American won't. Remember?
Now that the economy is going poorly and white folks are losing their jobs. Well you know the rest of the story.
The following is from Putting America Back to Work website:
We all deserve a just and fair chance to achieve the American Dream. Our national identity is rooted in the ideal that all people �quot; regardless of race, class, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, heritage or ability �quot; should have the opportunity to fulfill their potential.
One Nation Working Together will chart a bold, pragmatic path toward a more unified, sustainable, prosperous future by building support for these core principles and policy ideals.
What We Stand For
Putting America Back to Work
On Saturday, October 2, 2010, hundreds of thousands of people from across America will gather at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. to demonstrate our re-commitment to change. The One Nation March will feature human and civil rights leaders, labor leaders, environmental and peace activists, faith leaders, celebrities and sports figures �quot; all marching together to help Put America Back to Work and to Pull America Back Together. And to help reorder our national priorities so that investments in people come first.
Provide immediate relief for those who are currently unemployed.
Extend jobless benefits, COBRA, mortgage assistance, and other initiatives for those currently out of work.
Target help for populations and communities in the greatest need. Quality and Affordable Public Education
Ensure that all people have access to affordable, high quality education throughout their lives, from pre-school through college.
Provide for teacher training and support necessary to continuously improve classroom practice and serve students better.
Equality for All
Refocus Our Nation's Fiscal Priorities
End the foreclosure epidemic and save the homes of America's families.
Reform bankruptcy laws to protect families and working people.
Prioritize affordable housing for all .
Join us in Washington DC 10/2/10
http://action.onenationworkingtogether.org/pages/putting-america-back-to-work
Sep 21, 2010 @ 09:40 AM
greg, washington, dcShare Your Comment Show All Comments
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1 comment:
Dream Act defeated 56-43.
For now. But we will take small wins.
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