Congress isn't discussing the large number of illiterate DACAs in the group.
These DACAs/illegal aliens are adults 20-36 years old and are Obama giftees
not recipients. His illegal program gifted them social security cards, driver licenses, and deferred deportation.
Congressional representatives refuse to discuss the large number of illiterates in the DACA group. The fact is never mentioned in news articles.
From the Daily Signal -
"DACA had no requirement of English fluency either. In fact, the original application requested applicants to answer whether the form had been “read” to the alien by a translator “in a language in which [the applicant is] fluent.”
The Center for Immigration Studies estimates that “perhaps 24 percent of
the DACA-eligible population fall into the functionally illiterate category and another 46 percent have only ‘basic’ English ability.”
11
We would be confronting a much more manageable situation not only regarding Dreamers but everone in the country illegally if only we could see a really aggressive, hard-hitting campaign against those employing such people illegally. It is a crime and those employers are guilty of giving away jobs Americans could do to foreigners. I imagine on many university campuses there are Young Republica Clubs ready to persuade their members to aspire to careers in agricultural harvesting but they need some assurance that if they do so the jobs will be there for them. We need a concerted effort to get legal strike teams organized for rapid and unbending prosecution of employers and seizure of their businesses for hiring illegal workers. Send factory human resource managers, suburban hpusewives, big-scale farmers, and others to prison for a painful spell of learning to be patriotic.
I am aware of the argument that thgese young people should not be punished for something their parents did but even if they were bystanders they were still associated with the act. Indeed children riding in cars driven by parents speeding down the highway should also be punished for being part of an illegal act. Think how less crowded the roads would be if children caught in a speeding vehicle were barred from ever getting a driver's license.
But the key here is prosecution of employers. They callously deprive Americans of competing for arduous, ill-paying manual labor under wretched conditions.
4
No surprise here.
These supposed eminences add nothing constructive to the Dreamer problem.
Jeh Johnson and Janet Napolitano were Obama appointees. Of course, they support DACA, which was an Obama concoction.
Michael Chertoff was a Bush appointee. As a Bush appointee, he busied himself as DHS head by focussing Bush's obsession on terrorisms in the aftermath of 9/11, including not only Afghanistan but also Iraq. to the extent that Bush addressed illegal immigration at all, he was all for the supposedly "bipartisan" Gang of Eight give-away.
Both Bush and Obama represent the UnHoly Alliance of Multi-Culturalism embraced by Dems pandering to the Latino vote and the pro-cheap labor AmCham lobbies whose water is carried by traditional Repubs such as Bush and Graham.
For more than 30 years, both have been selling their respective bases and the American people in general down the river into open borders.
There is no need to do anything.
No need to deport the Dreamers.
Just don't make it legal or easy for them to stay.
Doing so will of course encourage more to come illegally.
The message must be clear: No reward.
If they don't like living in limbo, they can leave anytime.
They can always go back to the countries they came from.
What's so tough about that?
That those are countries they've supposedly "never known"?
Well, what's so tough about that?
After all, that's what immigrants to the USA (and elsewhere) supposedly do:
embark on a new life in a land they have "never known".
10
I'm confused by this article. Granting DACA permanent residency is for CURRENT DACA enrollees. Are the three ex-Homeland Security leaders insinuating that ALL illegal aliens who were brought here....blah, blah, blah....before a certain age will be included in the January so-called fix? That is definitely NOT what the American people want, and the March 1st deadline should be more than enough time for Congress to come together and fix the program for current DACA enrollees. DACA will be dead for all other illegal aliens after March 1, 2018.
10
I found the survey referenced in the post by Jon from New Yawk. Interestingly, the survey of DACA recipients was 92.6% Hispanic/Latino. Anyone care to argue that illegal "immigration" is a much broader than Hispanic/Latino issue? Or perhaps someone has a reason why the DREAMERS are so overwhelmingly Hispanic/Latino?
5
Mexico would not allow an American citizen to move to Mexico and reside there without proof of financial independence. Most, if not all, European nations would not allow an American citizen to move to a European nation without proof of financial independence. China strictly regulates the ability of American citizens to move to China. Why is America unique in allowing poor people to move here to be supported by taxpayer dollars? Because native born Americans also want to live on the taxpayer dime instead of doing the work immigrants will do?
10
One commenter wanted statistics about DACA recipients and here are a few fun facts (from http://www.newsweek.com/dreamers-daca-statistics-trump-deadline-657201):
- In a Center for American Progress survey of roughly 3,000 DACA recipients, nine-tenths of respondents said they had jobs.
- About 72 percent of respondents were in higher education.
- After getting DACA, nearly 80 percent of respondents said they got driver's licenses. About half became organ donors.
- The Center for American Progress estimated that the U.S. would lose about $460 billion in GDP over the next 10 years without DACA.
- More than 1,800 governors, attorneys general, mayors, state representatives, judges, police chiefs and other leaders signed onto a letter supporting Dreamers and DACA recipients.
10
Americans are saps. Mexico regularly expels illegal immigrants who cross their southern border from Central America. They know that more low skilled, poor and impoverished immigrants only add to the burden on Mexican taxpayers. Even socialist Europe is clamping down on illegals entering from the war torn Arab states. Their taxpayers have come to realize that the generous social welfare benefits previously reserved for native citizens are now being exploited by these immigrants. America needs to stop the gravy train and shut its doors to anyone who cannot earn their own way, and contribute a meaningful skill to our country. Oh, and requiring immigrants to speak English wouldn't be too much to ask.
26
Until comparatively recently, every immigrant to the US had to be self supporting because there was no safety net, no cost to the taxpayer or the country. Any immigrant lived or died, starved or prospered, with no impact. Not so now. Very expensive taxpayer funded programs for any population group that can't be self sufficient. I heard last week that 80% of the students in the LA Unified School District get paid lunch. A third of the population of California is on Medi-Cal, the state's Medicaid program.
16
I've been wanting to say this to some America Firsters all day, and some of the comments here make me think that they're the boyos who need to hear it most.
While recently visiting the American cemetary at Omaha Beach--and by "recently," I mean about five hours ago--I noticed that one of the several memorial inscriptions that the many and many we lost on June 6, 1944 and in the next couple months before the Normany breakout died in the, "cause commune de l'humanite."
That means, "In the common cause of humanity," guys. The common cause of humanity. The common cause of humanity.
Not for Trump, or for loyalty to Trump. Not for some gimcrack notion of "America First," which started out in the 1930s as an isolationist movement tied to Nazism, which is why you never heard much from Lucky Lindy after about 1941. Not just for America, and certainly not to keep the world safe for Wall Street and real estate...tycoons.
The inscriptions says that they "died in the common cause of humanity." By the thousands. Without bragging, without bluster, and without screaming about them illegals.
So tell us something, boys: you think they were stupid? You think they were suckers? You think they didn't fight for a better world, the world Trump--and a lot of you--hate and fear? Or you think they just died to make a buck?
Over a thousand are listed on the plinths as "Known only to God."
I am proud of them; I am ashamed of you, for your ignorance and smallness. America's better than that.
13
According to the Pentagon, about 900 DACA enrollees are in the military. This means only about 0.1 percent of the 800,000 Dreamers are in uniform. So we could depot about 99.9 percent of DACA enrollees without affecting the military.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/09/07/trump-administra...
8
Dear Trump Family, what if you sons or daughters were DACA? Show some compassion.
Your Father is hurting Families. How does that feel around Christmass!
7
The kids of legal Americans has dreams as well. A dream of not having to support a bunch of low skilled chain migration relatives of people who jumped the line and got amnesty because they couldn't be bothered to come in the legal way.
8
Why are politicians so concerned about foreigners taking advantage of our generousity,,,,"daring to dream"?
But NONE of these politicans will do the same service for AMERICANS who "dare to dream"?
And that, dear reader, is the REAL problem........
15
Why does the NYTimes continue to 'report' anything that Trump has said as if it reflects some reality?
He lies like a rug, and there is no way to know when he means what he says. This has been reported over and over again.
He rescinded DACA. That's a fact.
Now Democrats have to deal with it, God help those poor Dreamers.
5
1. He hasn't rescinded anying, being too much of a...well, let's just say clever lad.
2. Sorry, but he's President. If we--and I mean we--had the brains of a stunned oyster, he'd while away his days opening new third-rate burger joints, and having his picture taken pointing to the front door.
Alas, he's President.
1
Only reason for a southern U.S. wall is obviously because the illegal immigrants have access on foot, vehicle to come here illegally.
If border control could control them, disincentivise them from coming in 1st place we wouldnt need a wall.
E verify, fining, jailing employers, sanctuary cities and state, like Calif govt Jerry Brown has done, would hopefully put the brakes on these. Illegals.
Anchor babies need to no be given citizenship, chain migration of any kind needs to stop.
American citizens need the jobs, housing, college assistance that DACA is taking away from them.
All these laws, enforced, will keep them from coming here.
The HB2 visa holders are migrating to Canada since it has ended.
11
I read that a new CA law requires employers to advise employees 48 hours in advance that ICE will be visiting the workplace.
2
No amnesty. No citizenship. No DACA. No mas.
Send them and their parents and any other of their illegal relatives back to where ever it is they came from. If we allow this, it will happen again and again. Nobody can demand citizenship to any country that they desire by just showing up. Sorry it is not the way the world or our country works.
And any Canadian who comments about this, you are more than welcome to take and admit an extra million, plus their family members, this year.
22
The very instant that a deal is made to admit the "Dreamers" the NYTimes will start running tear-jerking articles about the parents, illegal siblings, grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins of these DACA people, how cruel it is to "rip apart" families, and that the all should be admitted to residence if not citizenship immediately! Reporters will be dispatched to the barrios to unearth photogenic, blameless people in all these categories so we can read all about how unjust it all is that they too are not allowed to stay. Heck, invite the rest of the extended families here too while we're at it!
This is one big reason the Republicans (and many of us Democrats too) are wary about what looks like the camel's nose in the tent. DACA kids, OK maybe, but it won't stop there. Better maybe to not start the process at all.
24
Susan: remember Jeh Johnson and Obama implemented DAPA for the illegal alien parents of DACA.
The 5-page EO was fortunately killed by TX and 26 other states as being yet another unconstitutional EO issued by Jeh Johnson and Obama. The document granted all parents immediate access to all "legal" benefits like social security, disability insurance, medicare, medicaid, work permits, etc. Reading it was breathtaking as I could not believe that the President of the U.S and his Homeland Security leader would so brazenly disregard our Consigitution....again....and soak the American taxpayer with the burden of providing for the welfare of the illegal alien parents of their illegal alien children. Maggie Haberman should ask Johnson whatever happened to the hi-rise buidling he had HHS lease and the 5,000 employees they hired to process the millions of DAPA wannabees? Hubris personified.
9
Many U S families don't live anywhere near their extended families.
Why should anyone care where the illegal aliens have to olive as long as they get deported.
DACAS were able to visit Mexico, so what is the big deal?
If they get deported, if DACA ends then they can return to homeland to be w all their families.
5
Once again Trump has to clean up Obama's mess.
18
Dreamers. Schemers.
DACA is nothing but a boondoggle.
It does nothing substantial to help anybody.
It serves only as a slush fund for questionable political agendas.........
22
Unfortunate for these young kids, but making one exceptional “amnesty” after another will simply enforce a flagrant disregard for the rule of law.
24
Considering that the initial DACA program was illegal and an unconstitutional usurpation of Legislative branch authority and that Napolitano continues to enroll illegal aliens in the University of California system, their opinions on the issue aren't relevant.
21
We have too many people here as it is. Climate change isn’t the biggest problem the world faces. Population growth is the biggest problem this world faces. If there isn’t the political will to tell our citizens to stop having children at least we can close the borders.
18
Without being insensitive to all the kids and persons brought illegally to USA , you must be kidding me that GOP and Trump administration will actually doe something for them.
Dare to hope sounds really nice in disney films but reality is really sad and frustratingly .
GOP never did anything for the Dreamers act and dems with their infighting will not be able to do anything either or they would have done it in 2008 itself.
Remember I sated its really frustrating.
I wish God has some HOPE left for us and these DACA kids.
4
I propose a more broadly applied law like those suggested here that immigrants brought into this country as children by their parents be deported.
Americans committing felonies, including dui, are a danger to our nation. Children of these people can not be allowed to roam our streets free to commit violent acts like their parents. They should be interred and forced to work to pay for the costs of incarceration of their parents.
Lawful abiding citizens should not have their hard earned tax dollars spent on these felons. It should fall to their families. If people’s children, including juveniles, understand they may be put into forced labor for their parents actions, perhaps they can stop their parents from committing violent acts.
4
Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.
By definition, illegal aliens are in this country illegally. All those in this country illegally should be deported and, if free of criminal history and disease, be allowed to go through the same LEGAL process to become citizens of the US. This process worked for my great-grand-parents and it still works today--for those who follow it.
The US does not have enough human and fiscal resources to take care of American CITIZENS, especially those in need like seniors, veterans, the disabled, etc. The US (read "US tax payers") cannot remotely afford to pay the staggering cost of illegal immigrants.
16
We are told that these DACA kids should not be punished for crimes committed by their parents. But have any of the parents been punished? We're talking about kidnapping, human smuggling, and violations of the Mann Act (transporting minors across state lines for illegal purposes).
There are huge serious crimes, and we are encouraging it. What a scam.
16
Start with an unassailable fact: kids brought in illegally were brought in by illegal "immigrant" parents. The kids are also illegal "immigrants". Most have very little to commend them as immigrants other than being "brought in through no fault of their own". The DACA requirements are minimal, much lower than would be applied to a legal immigrant applicant. Studying for a GED is enough. Taking a couple of fluff courses at the local JC is enough. Working at a nothing job is enough.
Here's what we should be asking:
Are they likely to become model citizens? Have they done well in school? Have they graduated from high school and/or college and likely to be able to work to support themselves? Are they on Medicaid and Welfare? Are they already working at a good job and paying taxes?
We should re-vet every DREAMER and admit only those who would be accepted as legal immigrants. And any accepted should never be able to bring in anyone via family reunification.
We shouldn't forget a core fact: we only have a DREAMER issue in the first place because of mass illegal "immigration" combined with feckless law enforcement. There is nothing noble about this mess.
12
I'm for making DACA immigrants follow the same procedures that our H1-B and Green Card applicants have to follow. If they have the skills, are employed, are not kicking out Americans for the same jobs, then I am for letting them stay, with an H1-B and then it's up to them to get Green Card sponsorship. No moms, fathers, uncles, aunts though. We have to put an end to unfettered immigration. If these people can't fully support themselves then they need to go.
15
The Democrats should agree to trade permanent status for the Dreamers in exchange for allowing him to build the wall. Then Trump will have to convince Republicans to give him the money for the wall, and he won't find enough of them willing to waste the money. Win-win for Democrats, and the kids.
1
20,000 Dreamers are currently qualified, working teachers, 200,000 are pucblic school students. The social and economic issues are great. They and these -
people - should be recognized as part of the - fabric of America
5
While we wait and see which way the Republican and Democratic pandering goes on this DACA issue, we as citizens and responsible media can begin the higher level discussions about immigration:
Do we really need a perpetually growing population? Does adding more people bring per capita prosperity, or just $$$ for big business?
What should our stable population level be?
What parts of the country are in danger of running out of water due to depleted aquifers? What are the costs if they run out?
What are the costs of overdevelopment related to natural disasters?
Does taking in a million or so immigrants a year make any kind of dent in world poverty when the world is growing by 80 million people a year, mostly poor?
Does immigration on the scale we are comfortable with create false hope among the millions (billions?) of people that would like to come here?
Letting poor people immigrate gives people a warm feeling, but we need to look at this long term and in a non-emotional way.
13
Everyone agrees that DACA immigrants must be protected. Now both sides must accept that they need the other side to accomplish this. In practice this means that Trump must accept Daca and Democrats must give Trump something or else both will be responsible for a government shutdown and the failure to protect those covered by the original DACA program. Stubbornness and politics cannot rule the day.
2
President Trump should not sign any piece of legislation granting DACA recipients legal status unless the legislation also includes either a giant step in preventing illegal immigration: 100% payment authorization for the wall or a giant step toward establishing an immigration system that serves the needs of this nation: an immediate end to chain migration/family reunification. There is no justification for giving away something so big, legalization of almost a million people, without getting something big in return. Further, DACA supporters' failure to plan [i.e. pass legislation during the Obama administration] does not constitute an emergency for the Trump administration.
10
People seem to think that migrants come here seeking frivolous amenities. It is worth remember that Guatemala and El Salvador have some of the highest murder rates in the world. Many come here fleeing horrific gang violence. Boys are at particular risk as they come of age, often facing a choice between gang life or death threats to themselves and their families. People flee for their lives, not so that they can have nicer stuff. An immigration system that relies on lotteries and quotas, and can take up to 10-20 years to process a legal immigration, does not address an urgent need. In light of this, discussions of “deterrence” in immigration policy are completely irrelevant. Who among us would not do anything we could to protect the ones we love?
The US is not an innocent bystander to the failed states of central America. Our toppling of elected leaders and funding and arming of insurrections since the 1950’s (google it) have contributed to the dangerous living conditions many there now face. Until we help our neighbors to the south achieve stable, peaceful societies, and until we acknowledge our dependence on their labor, migrations will be a fact of life. So, we can get to work protecting the innocent, and live up to our values as a country, or we can continue to allow immigration to be a “wedge” issue that strongmen here at home use to further their own agendas. Wake up America. You’re being played.
6
The El Salvador-based M-1 street gang now has 10,000 members in the United States. Last year, MS-13 was responsible for 11 murders just on Long Island.
https://projects.newsday.com/long-island/ms-13-long-island-know-gang/
8
Absolutely no one is advocating making gang members legal residents. Throw them out. But to imply that they represent the character of the immigrant population in general is both false, and smacks of stereotyping that borders on racism. The fact is that immigrants as a whole are much less likely to commit crimes than native born citizens. The administrations characterization of this as a public safety issue is simply a ruse. They use it to distract and divide while they line their pockets and those of their wealthy donors.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/fact-check-no-evidence-undo...
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/26/us/trump-illegal-immigrants-crime.html
DACA is going to be the gift that keeps on giving, just wait and see.
Despite the public sympathy they garner, in private most people aren’t willing to grant them amnesty without assurances on border security. The moderate majority knows that it’ll be a backdoor to chain migration for extended families.
The Democrats in turn know this is how most people feel, and this is why they avoided making it a priority when they had majorities. It was better to let Obama give them an out through Executive Branch non-enforcement (deemed illegal by our courts, which is what really catalyzed this), than to put it out in the open.
But if the Democrats trade the Dreamers for border security, they lose the support of their open borders lunatic fringe, who carried Mexican flags and burned American flags during anti-Trump riots in the run up to the 2016 election. As toxic as these displays are to most moderates, these are the most energetic elements of the Democrats’ base.
In other words, the Democrats are in between a rock and a hard place on this one. They can look reasonable to the moderate majority and link a path to citizenship with border protection, but only if they’re willing to upset their base.
So my guess is that they’ll push this to buy time, hoping for a miracle. But as summer approaches, urban violence will climb, Trump will tie the crime rates to border security (MS-13) and dangerous sanctuary cities, and then the Democrats will be forced to cave on stronger borders.
4
No special treatment is needed. The Dreamers can apply for student visas to stay in school, the same way foreign students do. After school, they will have to compete for work visas to legally work in the US, the same way foreign skilled workers do. And there are existing pathways to green cards and citizenship already. I don't see why Congress can't agree on that.
The only legislation that Congress needs to work on asap is to end birth citizenship - one of the parents must be a US citizen or at least a US permanent resident. Period.
11
The Dreamers would have to return home to their country of citizenship in order to apply for a student visa. They cannot do so while living illegally in the US. The same is true for applying for green cards.
2
Probably they'll be no deal because Trump will tie it to his wall or something else. But faced with the spectre of ICE raids and endless negative news, he'll just punt and extend his "deadline", taking DACA off the table yet again and preferring to leave these youths anxious and in limbo rather than show some moral backbone.
4
It is unlikely he will follow in Obama's footsteps, using DACA as a wedge item and exploiting the vulnerable for political gain. It was always up the Congress to pass a law making it possible to grant work permits to people illegally present in the US. Revoking the illegal actions of his predecessor was the most likely path to getting Congress to act. There has been widespread bipartisan support for granting permanent legal alien status to dreamers since it was proposed by Bush eleven years ago. Too bad Senator Obama didn't support it back them. He utilized it as a wedge issue in order to facilitate his re-election with the full knowledge that doing so was poison for any bipartisan legislation.
Once again, Trump is attempting to fix the consequences of illegal partisan actions on the part of Obama.
Too bad the Democrats were unable to fix the election.
3
So I really feel for these DACA enrollees, as they were brought not by their own choice. But what message does it send to all the immigrants who have applied to come to this country legally and are still waiting in line?
If special status is given to this subset, then why not give it to entrepreneurs living in other parts of the world that want to come to the US to start a new company? The fact of the matter is that they are here illegally. They should go back to their parents country of citizenship, and then apply for legal status like everyone else.
If democrats try to make illegal immigration (and please don't use the PC term "undocumented immigrants" as its a slap in the face for all the immigrants that are here legally) such as DACA an issue in 2020, we will again lose the presidential election. As a liberal, I hope we don't make this same mistake again.
35
Sorry, the mistake is made and continues to be made. California is now a "sanctuary state" as are many major US cities in defiance of Federal law. How do you walk that back? If Democrats want to try to win in 2020, support Kate's Wall and the RAISE Act: cut illegal immigration, and no more chain migration and make immigration based on the ability to contribute to the economic base of the country. Otherwise be prepared to lose.
5
Because the people waiting in line overseas have no current connection to this country. The DACAs are people who were kids when they arrived, and they are, for all practical intent, Americans. Deporting them would be unproductive and cruel. The fact that these are overwhelmingly people significantly contributing to the economic and social welfare of the country makes it even worse. Deporting them offers no benefits to anyone, other than establishing ourselves further as a diminished nation.
3
It is not PC, it is the accurate term. They are people who immigrated here without documents, and as you knowledge, with no choice in the matter.
1
Ironically, Paul Ryan—along with a good number of his fellow Christian conservatives— believes that (white) Americans need to be having more children in order to keep the economy going full steam. Certainly, the most cost-efficient way to supply the country’s manpower needs is to keep the DACAs here, where they were raised and educated. But then, logical consistency is not one of conservative Christians’ strong points.
10
You have no idea whether DACA are net contributors. Have you ever seen any data? Any at all?
10
If I had to vote on it I would say:
give them a special kind of Green Card, they can have the biological parents in the USA with them, NO citizenship for them OR the first generation after,, or parents. The parents broke the law, but deportation at this point seems to go against our nations standing on cruel and unusual punishment. They work, the pay taxes and whatever. If they cross the line with any illegal activity, they get deported after the law takes its pound of flesh. That seems simple enough and fair given the circumstances for something that can be argued until H freezes over.
3
As long as we continue to have the lunacy of Birthright Citizenship, all these proposals to give non citizen track to adults are unstable. Why? Because anyone on a Green Card or any kind of temporary legal status can have US citizen kids just as well as any illegal "immigrant" or tourist can. This will always crank up the violins and the bleating about "separating" families or treating them differently.
7
Your proposal also discourages future illegal aliens from bringing their children in the hope the children will also be granted citizenship.
2
Sounds reasonable. I would add that this amnesty ends with the existing DACA population. Any illegal alien who is not a DACA enrollee, even if they came here as a child, will not be granted legal status of any kind and will be subject to deportation if detained by ICE. If the law has no endpoint on it, we will be subject to another group of illegal aliens in 10-20 years insisting on legal status because it "wasn't their fault" they are here illegally.
2
The problem with DACA is the path to citicenship. Because there will be enormous pressure to allow these young people to eventually sponsor their parents.
And that is a back door to amnesty, not for a couple of million, but for many millions.
And that will prompt many more people-- especially those with kids--to try to enter illegally.
58
That is simply NOT true. If entitled to a DACA exemption, one is entitled to a six year exemption during which time they will have a conditional resident status, but they do not have entitlement to green cards or sponsorship of any relatives. The idea is to enable those who came when extremely young to have the time and capacity to receive citizenship themselves, which will entitle them to sponsorship of family members, but not until they've completed their own process of obtaining citizenship.
1
So you want to deport the kids? Read Leviticus:19 and the story of the Holy Family's flight to Egypt for an interesting Biblical perspective on cruelty towards the stranger in our midst.
1
The problem's that you can't even SPELL "citizenship," let alone approach the issue reasonably.
I agree that the issue should have already been taken care of, the president has told them what to do and it could take a week to actually do. Now why do you need any new applications, I think that they already have them so just an extension done legally would be appropriate. Now I don't want them to get any new rights, like being made citizens in mass. Even if they are not formally protected the administration has other priorities for deportation.
5
From a strategic perspective, allowing these proven highly productive and responsible tax paying individuals to remain in our country might help the administration build their case for merit based immigration and deflect some of the criticism of their anti- immigration stance.
5
Have you seen any data on who "these proven highly productive and responsible taxpaying individuals" are? I definitely haven't. Have you even seen an age distribution? What proportion are under 15, what proportion 15-20, 20-25, over 25?
I doubt that you know anything about these folks. I doubt anyone else does either.
11
Americans want the Dreamers to stay but are reluctant to support another amnesty for unauthorized immigrants—including DACA enrollees—because they know open border advocates will work to thwart efforts to curtail future illegal immigration. In 1986, we granted amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants based on promises that the federal government would stop future illegal immigration. But a tsunami of illegal immigrants quickly pushed the number of people in the country illegally to more than 11 million. Their presence proves the federal government alone cannot reduce illegal immigration to acceptable levels.
Congress should grant DACA enrollees citizenship as part of a legislative package that includes measures to prevent future illegal immigration. This legislation should (1) authorize state, county and city police to enforce federal immigration laws; (2) empower states, counties and cities to make it unlawful for unauthorized immigrants to reside within their jurisdictions; (3) make E-Verify mandatory nationwide; and (4) change asylum policy to automatically deny asylum to anyone who enters the country illegally. As a separate measure, Congress should start a process to reinterpret or, if necessary, amend the citizenship clause to grant birthright citizenship only to children born to U.S. parents.
With these measure in effect, we wouldn’t need a border wall.
23
No special citizenship for them, they can stay work etc. and use the normal process to become citizens. I would allow them not to return to their home country but nothing else. And we need a barrier no matter what, criminals don't respond to anything else.
18
I take it that this would include the "criminals," who joined our military, are in college, or are working as doctors and nurses and teachers.
1
We wouldn't need a barrier if we made residing in the United States inconvenient for illegal immigrants by making E-Verity mandatory nationwide, permitting local police to demand proof of citizenship and arrest illegal immigrants for violating U.S. immigration laws,
and demanding ng proof of citizenship for transitions such as renting or buying houses; electricity, gas and water hookups;' motor vehicle registration, etc.
9
“allow them to continue contributing to the only nation they have known,” the former secretaries said.
Really? Then why did the CBO report on the 2017 DREAM Act indicate that it would cost $26 billion taxpayer dollars over 10 years? That's not contributing; that's taking.
43
Well, basically because Trump got at the CBO. Here's what CATO had to say:
https://www.cato.org/blog/two-problems-cbos-score-dream-act-one-solution
Iffy CBO study, fellow, which I'll bet you saw reported on Hannity, speaking of sketchy.
I read the CATO blog post too! Sorry, but a finger in the wind take on the CBO report by trying to interpolate data from an unrelated study is NOT a refutation of the CBO study.
And how did Trump get to the CBO? The CBO was not favorable to his corrupt tax plan, was it?
The point is that amnesty for illegal aliens costs us. It did in 1986 and a future amnesty will too. Progressives like to call this privatizing profits (the illegals) while socializing the costs (taxpayers).
5
Congress should have acted on DACA 15 years ago, but is totally afraid of any immigration legislation. Mr. Trump did the right thing by 'calling the question', as it were, and ordering the Obama program to end unless Congress did something. So by forcing Congress to actually make a decision, rare as it is, Mr. Trump probably has saved the DACA children, not sent them home as is popularly believed, especially in news rooms.
10
Senator Obama declined to support the Bush proposal that would have resolved the issue. Congress has to act or we have to live with the law as is.
2
No matter if Congress acts or does not act the media will label it a D Trump action.
Six month is time enough to act IF you govern instead of bicker.
Neither side though wants to govern.
No one appears to want to compromise - a basic tenet of a democracy to succeed.
I hope.
I pray.
I want to believe we will see the resolution.
4
I'm OK with kids who were brought here at least 10 years ago when they were under 8 years old.
And of course their parents will have to stay too. But that's it. No grandparents, no aunts, uncles, etc.
6
Their parents probably get to stay but not because of their children. No making them citizens either.
6
They will all file court cases asserting their grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc are close dear family and it would be a travesty to exclude these additional people from the revised DACA provisions. The courts, particularly the Ninth Circuit, will then grant every illegal alien legal status. Remember what happened with the travel ban when the definition of bona fide relatives was expanded.
6
If they arrived 10 years ago when they were eight, they can go home with their parents.
2
I am feeling so very sorry for the DACA students I know, who get straight A's, are engaged in the world, and unspoiled. This "one size fits all" mentality toward immigrants and immigration is damaging to our country and idiotic. The clock ticks on while scared innocent people await their fate.
4
The same "one size fits all" mentality is also at work in those who portray an utterly remarkable assembly of persons who somehow, as an entire class, are, we're told "straight A" students, "engaged", "unspoiled", truly amazing one and all, far more so than any domestic child to be sneered at. Somehow their parents must have known that they were uniquely gifted and brought them to America.
Enough please. Yes, many if not most of these DACA students are probably decent people. But trying to idealize them one and all as some unique gift to the nation really doesn't help your argument.
19
I know, I know: every single one of these "Dreamers" is either a Medal of Honor recipient, future Nobel Prize winner, straight A class president, hardest working person ever and/or beautiful, kind, and a humanitarian as well. To all DACA advocates, please stop with the hyperbole. Just as with any other large group of people, there are good Dreamers, bad Dreamers, and a whole lot of somewhere in the middle Dreamers. For example, there are plenty of MS-13 members who fit within the Dreamer category but no one wants to talk about them.
14
Why must we treat these "illegals" any differently than others? Can't they "get in line" as did your ancestors and mine? Our immigration programs are still functioning and we now admit more than one million "legal" immigrants per year.
35
How long did you have to stand in line when your parents brought you here by being born through no fault of your own?
8
There wasn't a line for most of our ancestors. The US had open borders until relatively recently (after half of the Italians and central/eastern Europeans got here).
Eventually, per-country annual immigration limits were put in place. Those laws make about as much _economic_ sense as limits on trucks or CNC machines (which have killed oh so many jobs), but we all know the real reason.
4
You can have open borders or a welfare state. The combination is unsustainable.
5
"Publicly, the president has insisted on funding for his promised wall along the southern border with Mexico, as well as other security measures, as part of a deal."....Children who were brought to this country at a young age and are now adults are every bit as American as anyone who was born here. It would be morally wrong to deny them some form of permanent status. Unless you believe that morality is negotiable, you cannot require the negotiation of a deal holding what is morally right as a bargaining chip. Anyone who would propose to do so is morally bankrupt. But when you have elected a vulgar bigoted narcissist as President, who should be surprised.
27
Granting ancestry to DACA enrollees would encourage future illegal immigration, as did the blanket amnesty granted in the 1980s. What would be immoral about including measures to reduce future illegal immigration to a legislative package that includes citizenship or permanent legal resident status to DACA enrollees? Only those who want to encourage future immigration could object.
30
So if it is so morally wrong giving the president what we voted for is a very small price to pay. This bill should have been introduced and passed in about a week.
4
"Granting ancestry to DACA enrollees would encourage future illegal immigration"...The issue of future illegal immigration is an entirely different matter which should be addressed separately. But let me ask you directly if you think it would be morally right to deny them some form of permanent residence?
3
If you have to have immigrants (and there is no doubt about the need to rejuvenate the population) what better people can you get than persons who have lived here, who have proven their fidelity to the country, who are bettering themselves through study, who are law-abiding. There is no better vetting than many years of being observed. Rejecting them is not only inhuman, but also just plain stupid.
62
The real issue isn't accepting or rejecting DACA enrollees. The issue is whether legislation granting them legal status should include measures to stop future illegal immigration.
25
As usual you and other progressives make an assumption. We don't need many immigrants we are over populated already and automation can and will replace those immigrants except for a small number of highly valuable ones.
26
"If you have to have immigrants (and there is no doubt about the need to rejuvenate the population)"
I think maybe we should address the elephant in the room: why are American children no longer prospering? What is so fundamentally wrong with our society that (as has been pointed out in this paper previously) immigrants often have better outcomes than native born kids?
12