dream act

Today, the Senate takes action on the DREAM Act (S.2205). This proposed measure is just another example of Washington's relentless push for amnesty for illegal aliens. By continuing to ignore the will of the American people, these legislators thumb their collective noses at the rule of law. Now is the time for all of us to act!

The Democrats are pushing this measure which they say is designed to allow school-aged kids to stay in the U.S. (amnesty) to attend college. The Heritage Foundation describes the bill, saying, "The bill purports to grant amnesty to individuals unlawfully in the United States who arrived before the age of 16. Publicized as a humanitarian measure for children, the bill would allow applicants to immediately receive conditional legal status, including eligibility for federal benefits like student loans."

There is so much the Democrats are saying about this bill, and we must stop it today! Here's some more information:


As noted by the Heritage Foundation, the DREAM (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) Act is not something new. It was actually proposed five years ago.

Its implications for undermining the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws were so obvious that the measure was never voted out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The legislation was then embedded in the comprehensive immigration reform bill, an addition that almost went unnoticed due to that bill's many controversial components. Given its troubling past, the current effort to bring the DREAM Act directly to the floor is even more alarming.

The Heritage Foundation notes that the bill "would make applicants eligible for in-state tuition, which would discriminate against U.S. citizens from out of state and law-abiding foreign students." In addition, the study finds that the bill "would place no limits on when individuals could apply or the number of persons who could apply. This would leave the program open to widespread abuse and rampant fraud."

This is one of the fundamental problems that happens when the Democrats and some squishy Republicans propose measures that are counter to the rule of law: the country gets more law-breaking. Fraud would be rampant, and the measure only encourages more illegal immigration.

The numbers of illegal aliens affected is also misleading. According to the Center for Immigration Studies, "Some have argued that only 60,000 illegal immigrants would be granted amnesty annually under the Act, but a new analysis by the Center for Immigration Studies of 2007 Census Bureau data shows millions of potential beneficiaries."

In all, the CIS report estimates millions could fall under the guidelines of the DREAM Act. Again, this is open-ended legislation filled with loopholes, potential for abuse, and it rewards illegal behavior.

Sen. John Cornyn released a statement on Tuesday addressing Sen. Richard Durbin's (D-IL) DREAM Act. Cornyn said that Congress should continue "seeking reasonable and responsible ways they can complete their education and achieve opportunity." But Cornyn noted that the bill "contains a number of gaping loopholes, while failing to address the much larger need for comprehensive immigration reform and the immediate crisis at our borders."

"If my colleagues who support this measure are committed to solving America's immigration crisis and the plight of illegal immigrants, then the focus of this Congress should be on passing a comprehensive reform bill that addresses all of our pressing immigration matters, including securing our broken borders and the needs of American businesses for more workers."

This is an issue on which I have written extensively (here, here, and here, for example) and where the power of grassroots activism pays off. Now is the time to act again!

Please contact your senators today and tell them to vote against cloture for the DREAM Act. Just go to GOPUSA's Legislative Action Center to easily get the information you need to tell your senators to vote NO! Together, we can get the job done!
DREAM Act
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The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act (also called "The DREAM Act") is a highly contentious, bi-partisan bill that has been introduced several times in the United States Congress that would provide a path to citizenship for immigrant students and those wishing to join the United States military. The bill, in all its incarnations, has never been brought to a floor vote as a stand alone bill in either the United States House or the United States Senate, despite passing the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary with a vote of 16-3and at one point having 47 co-sponsors[1] in the senate. The text of the bill has also been included in various other immigration-related bills, including the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006, which was approved by the Senate and the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007, which failed in a 46-53 cloture vote in the Senate. [2]

Contents
1 Background
2 Description of the Bill
3 Bill history
4 Current Status
5 External links
6 References



[edit] Background
[This section seems bias. Need a more objective viewpoint]

Currently, a child can only obtain their immigration status though their parents, there does not exist an independent method. As a results, a child often has no control over his or her situation. They often had no say in coming to the US (legally or illegally) and often are penalized for something they had no say over. Many remain without a permanent status despite having naturalized citizen or legal permanent resident parents. Some are abandoned in the US with nowhere to turn to, they cannot return to a country where they do not know anyone, do not speak the language, or even remember. Many are now married to American citizens with children but because of a decision some else made when the individual was a child they may not obtain a permanent residency status and at any point could be separated from their family and deported. The irony is, if the child returns to their birth country immigration services will deny them any legal visas to come back to the US if they attempt to come back legally. They are often subject to decade long bans and student, tourist, or work visas are rarely given to people with such strong connections to the US.

Currently, the United States Military faces an enlistment crisis and an immigrant that is not a permanent resident (green card) is not allowed to enlist. Several senior officials at the Department of Defense have spoken in favor of promising legal status to members of the military as a means of boosting recruitment. Many have suggested an alternative path as well to stay consistent with the voluntary nature of the military. A college degree is often suggested as an alternative mainly because degree holders tend to contribute more in taxes than they use up in services and are less likely to end up using public services. By a supreme court ruling the United States is forced to provide a K-12 education for immigrant children[3]. Many point to the absurdity of the law that right before the immigrant has the opportunity to repay society for this education (via military service or through tax revenue collected from them), the law stops them.

The DREAM Act seeks to address all of these issues.


[edit] Description of the Bill
The DREAM Act is a one time solution intended to provide a path to a permanent legal status for persons brought to the United States by their parents or guardians as children. This includes individuals with a current legal immigration status, individuals whose parents attempted to immigrate legally but were then denied legality after several years in application, and those initially brought here illegally at a young age.

To qualify, the immigrant student or soldier would have to meet certain requirements such as:

Proof of having arrived in the United States at age 15 or younger.
Proof of residence in the United States for a least five (5) consecutive years since their date of arrival.
Must be between the ages of 12 and 30 at time of bill enactment.
Having graduated from an American High School, or obtained a GED.
"Good moral character," essentially defined as the absence of a significant criminal record (or any drug charges whatsoever).
See below for more details.
During the six years of conditional status, the eligible immigrant would be required to either (1) graduate from a two-year community college, (2) complete at least two years towards a 4-year degree, or (3) serve two years in the U.S. military. After the six year period, an immigrant who meets at least one of these three conditions would be eligible to apply for legal permanent resident (green card) status. During their temporary time, immigrants would not be eligible for federal higher education grants such as Pell grants, though they would be able to apply for student loans and work study.

If the immigrant does not meet the educational or military service requirement within the six year time period, her or his temporary residence would be revoked and he or she would be subject to deportation. During the six years, the immigrant must not commit any crimes other than those considered non-drug related misdemeanors, regardless of whether or not they have already been approved for permanent status at the end of their six years. Being convicted of a major crime, or drug-related infraction would automatically remove the six year temporary residence status and he or she would be subject to deportation.

If the immigrant meets all of the conditions at the end of the 6-year conditional period, he or she would be granted a permanent green card with the same rights as a permanent resident alien, including the right to apply for U.S. citizenship.

Previous versions of the DREAM Act would restore a state's right in determining eligibility for in-state tuition. This provision was often misrepresented by critics of the measure as "free college" or as falsely claiming to "mandate all states to offer in-state tuition" to these immigrants. As a result it has been dropped and in the 2 most recent versions of the DREAM Act there was no language pertaining to in-state tuition[4].

An estimated 65,000 immigrant students who meet these requirements graduate from high school each year.[5]


[edit] Bill history
A very similar version of the bill, though never called the "DREAM Act", was introduced during the 107th Congress in 2001, as H.R.1918 and S.1291 in the House and Senate respectively. It has been introduced in both the Senate (as the "DREAM Act") and the House (as the "American Dream Act") at various times. In the Senate: S.1545 (108th Congress), S.2075 (109th Congress) and S.774 (110th Congress). In the House: H.R.1684 (108th Congress), H.R.5131 (109th Congress) and H.R.1275 (110th Congress).

The text of the bill has also been placed in various other immigration-related bills (none yet successful), including the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 (S. 2611) and the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 (S. 1348).

In September 2007 it was introduced as a possible amendment to a Department of Defense authorization bill(S. 2919). The most recent bill number is S.2205.[6]


[edit] Current Status
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Richard Durbin, have expressed a desire for Congress to pass the DREAM Act in 2007.[7][8] Sen. Durbin had announced plans to attach a version of the DREAM Act to the 2008 defense appropriations bill. This version no longer contained language pertaining to in-state tuition and set an age limit of 30[9]. According to the Army Times, several senior officials at the Department of Defense have spoken in favor of the DREAM Act, and specifically the bill's promise of legal status to members of the military as a means of boosting recruitment. The amendment was not brought up for a vote. However, Reid promised to bring the measure to a senate vote by November 16.[10] On October 18, 2007 Richard Durbin introduced a new version of the DREAM Act similar to the one proposed as an amendment to the DOD bill with an age limit of 30 and no in-state tuition language. Cosponsored by Sen. Chuck Hagel and Sen. Richard Lugar, S.2205 is a stand alone bill.


[edit] External links

DREAM Act Won't Spark More Illegal Immigration, Dem Says

(CNSNews.com) - The Senate on Wednesday will consider the DREAM Act, a bill that would open a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants who were brought into the United States as children and who prove themselves to be productive members of society. The bill has been derided as amnesty by conservative critics. But its sponsor, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), said the bill has specific safeguards and will not spark "chain migration" of illegal immigrants into America. The bill would grant legal status to illegal immigrants who were brought into the United States as children by their parents. Eligible immigrants must have been in the United States for at least five years before the bill's signing date and must have been younger than 16 when they arrived here. Full Story




Activist Judges Stymie Local Immigration Enforcement, Critics Charge

(CNSNews.com) - The so-called "comprehensive approach" to immigration reform that combines stepped-up border security with legal and financial benefits for illegal aliens is untenable, some policy analysts suspect, because federal judges are likely to strike down enforcement measures while leaving "amnesty" provisions intact. With public opinion heavily weighted against the distribution of social services and government benefits to illegal aliens, the proponents of lax immigration policies have made adept use of the judicial branch to advance their agenda, Steve Camarota, director of research for the Center for Immigration Studies, told Cybercast News Service . The lobbying effort pushing "comprehensive reform" is in many respects a ruse set up to entice law enforcement advocates with reforms that would ultimately be short circuited, he said. Full Story




Thompson Rejects 'Sanctuary Cities'

(CNSNews.com) - Republican presidential hopeful Fred Thompson took aim at sanctuary cities on Tuesday, becoming the first major presidential candidate to say the government should crack down on businesses and jurisdictions that shield illegal aliens. "Taxpayer money should not be provided to illegal immigrants," Mr. Thompson said at a round-table discussion in Florida. It's the first major policy announcement of his campaign, and it goes straight to the heart of the issue that is dominating the Republican presidential race, the Washington Times reported. Read News on the Web




Virginia Republicans Cast Election As Vote on Illegal Immigration

(CNSNews.com) - Virginia Republican lawmakers say if Democrats win control of the state Senate next month, voters can kiss every state immigration reform bill goodbye, the Washington Times reported. "Every Republican we lose is one less vote we have for immigration reform," on Republican lawmaker said. According to the newspaper, Virginia has been at the forefront of trying to protect its residents and their tax money from people entering the country illegally. Read News on the Web




Bill Would Expand Abortion Clinic Buffer Zone in Massachusetts

(CNSNews.com) - The Massachusetts Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that would establish a 35-foot no-protest zone around abortion clinics. The legislation would almost double the current 18-foot buffer zone that protesters are not allowed to enter, the Boston Globe reported. Currently, protesters may come within 6 feet of someone within the zone to provide counsel or share information, as long as the individual consents. Supporters say the measure is a public safety initiative that would protect women from intimidation they may face from protesters and would make it easier to prosecute violators. But opponents said the bill violates protesters' First Amendment rights by limiting their ability to distribute materials that could encourage women seeking an abortion to change their minds. The bill now goes to the House, where at least 75 lawmakers have endorsed it, the newspaper reported. Read News on the Web




Rockers Join Dems in Opposing Nuke Energy Subsidies

(CNSNews.com) - Rock stars, environmental groups and liberal lawmakers are pressing Congress to scrap subsidies for new nuclear power plants. Without federal subsidies, nuclear plants would have never been constructed, said singer Graham Nash at a Capitol Hill press conference on Tuesday. Country rocker Bonnie Raitt said that the industry could not get insurance coverage, which explains why it must rely on federal subsidies. "They wouldn't build one brick if they didn't get subsidized - not one," musician Graham Nash told Cybercast News Service. "There are a lot of good things in this bill. We can't throw out the baby with the bath water, but we need to get rid of these loan guarantees for an industry that has never, ever supported itself." Brian Darling, director of Senate relations at the conservative Heritage Foundation, said the group is being "unrealistic about environmental issues." Full Story




Real Liberty Ends Ideological Segregation, Justice Thomas Says

(CNSNews.com) - Relish the challenge that comes with defending freedom. Stop whining about unfortunate circumstances. Read the Constitution before pontificating about it. And reason with your mind to break free of ideological segregation. Those are some of the recommendations Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas gave last week at a luncheon in his honor. More than 800 people attended the event in New York City co-sponsored by the Federalist Society and the Heritage Foundation, both conservative organizations. Thomas was there to discuss his new book, "My Grandfather's Son," and he fielded questions about his tenure on the Supreme Court and his judicial outlook. "Throughout this book, I tried to be honest about the struggles along life's path," Thomas said. Full Story




Personal Attacks on Judicial Nominees Can End, Thomas Defender Says

(CNSNews.com) - The character assassination of judicial nominees who don't fit the ideological mold of the political class in Washington could end if enough Americans expressed their opposition to such personal attacks, said former Sen. John Danforth in an exclusive interview with Cybercast News Service. Danforth, a Republican from Missouri, has been a long-time friend and mentor of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and it was Danforth who helped Thomas make it through his difficult Senate confirmation hearings in 1991. The extreme, libertine view about the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision by the court, making abortion legal nationwide up through the time of delivery, is what fueled the personal attacks on Thomas, said Danforth. Full Story




Clinton Comes to Denver With Pocketful of Promises

(CNSNews.com) - Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton made lots of promises during a campaign stop in Denver Tuesday: She'll withdraw the troops from Iraq, create millions of jobs in renewable energy by taking $50 billion in tax subsidies away from Big Oil, create universal pre-kindergarten, forgive more student loans and open up the congressional health care plan to all Americans. Before Clinton's speech, Paul Lindsay, regional press secretary for the Republican National Committee, said that her proposals would result in higher taxes that would be "devastating for Colorado families," the Rocky Mountain News reported. Read News on the Web




Hillary Clinton: 'I Know How to Beat Republicans'

(CNSNews.com) - On a campaign stop in Colorado Tuesday, Sen. Hillary Clinton pledged $50 billion in federal funding to explore "new forms of energy," the Denver Post reported. "Wouldn't it be nice to have a president who will actually say the words 'global warming?'" Clinton asked the crowd. She outlined an agenda to "restore America's leadership around the world," "rebuild a strong middle class," "reform our government" and "reclaim the future for our children and our country." Clinton also told the crowd she knows how to beat Republicans. Read News on the Web




'Katrina Missteps Still Haunting Bush,' Report Says

(CNSNews.com) - The wildfires burning in California could be another opportunity for the Bush administration to show how badly it handles national disasters, the Associated Press all but said in a report recalling the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Jennifer Loven, who covers the White House for the Associated Press, wrote that "Hurricane Katrina has many legacies for the Bush White House, none pleasant. One is the guarantee that as soon as disaster strikes in the United States, President Bush's every move is closely scrutinized to gauge the speed and tone of his response to the suffering." According to Loven, the White House has reacted to the California wildfires "with what has become a familiar pattern: Bush dropped a few lines of sympathy and promised assistance into an already scheduled speech. Across the administration, aides volunteered as many facts and figures as possible about the federal contribution to the disaster response, a federal emergency to speed relief funding was declared in the middle of the night, and a presidential visit to the affected area was quickly arranged."




'Cumbersome' Terrorist Watch List Balloons to Almost 800,000 Names

(CNSNews.com) - The federal government's terrorist watch list has swelled to more than 755,000 names, according to a government report that has raised worries about the list's effectiveness, USA Today reported. Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) plans to hold a hearing on the report on Wednesday. The terrorist watch list, used to check people entering the country, has grown by 200,000 names a year since 2004. (The TSA's no-fly list is a small subset of the watch list.) Some lawmakers, security experts and civil rights advocates warned that the list will become useless if it includes too many people. Read News on the Web




Americans Who Protested Iraq War Denied Entry Into Canada

(CNSNews.com) - Two Code Pink "peace activists" are outraged that they were denied entry into Canada because their arrests during anti-war protests landed them on an FBI-run database, the Associated Press reported. The activists presented petitions Tuesday at Canadian consulates in several U.S. cities, demanding that Canada stop barring anti-war protesters from entering. "The Bush administration has convinced the Canadian government to do its dirty work, to deny entry to people who are dissenting against Bush administration policies," said Ann Wright, a retired Army colonel and diplomat who was turned back at the border along with Medea Benjamin of the anti-war group Code Pink. Wright and Benjamin learned when they tried to visit Canada in August that their names were in an FBI-maintained database meant to track fugitives, potential terrorists, missing persons and violent felons. They were told they would have to apply for "criminal rehabilitation" and pay $200 if they ever wanted to visit Canada. Read News on the Web




Activists Slam US Policy on Abortion Funding

London (CNSNews.com) - A meeting of abortion-rights activists from around the world here Tuesday kicked off what promises to be a tumultuous battle over abortion in Britain in the coming months. As part of the first Global Safe Abortion Conference, more than 700 women's health advocates, doctors and government representatives gathered to tackle what they called an epidemic of unsafe abortions. Drawing on figures from the World Health Organization, speakers at the conference said that around 66,000 women die each year from poorly performed, often illegal abortions. In response, organizations sponsoring the conference called for liberalizing global abortion laws and for more funds to be poured into reproductive services. Speakers also criticized the United States policy of restricting funding to NGOs that provide abortions. Full Story




Clashes in Venezuela Over Controversial Constitutional Changes

Buenos Aires (CNSNews.com) - Plans to amend Venezuela's constitution in a way that will lead to increasingly authoritarian rule under President Hugo Chavez have triggered violent clashes between police and student-led protestors in Caracas. Thousands of demonstrators took part in a protest Tuesday, and television footage showed scuffles with police. A delegation of protest leaders were reportedly able to meet later with lawmakers at the National Assembly. The legislature, which is dominated by pro-Chavez lawmakers, plans to make 58 amendments to the constitution by the end of November. Critics, including opposition groups, human rights organizations and Catholic bishops, say some of the proposed changes will give the state too much power at the expense of individuals' civil liberties. The planned changes include allowing the government to detain people without charge during national emergencies, and eliminating presidential term limits. Full Story




Safety Fears Growing Amid Pakistan's Election Campaign

New Delhi (CNSNews.com) - Opposition political parties in Pakistan say they will defy any move by the government to ban political processions during upcoming parliamentary elections. Islamabad says it is considering the ban to prevent violence like the bombings that killed nearly 140 people the day former premier Benazir Bhutto returned from exile last week. But critics say it is an attempt by President Pervez Musharraf to undercut opposition support. The government would allow gatherings in specific, well-protected areas but not large processions and rallies. Opposition parties were quick to react, accusing the government of trying to rig the election, due in January. Full Story