DREAM Act

History:

Stands for Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act
There are too many illegal immigrants in the United States
According to the article, the US Government wants to protect the young immigrants so they can have a future
Americans are feeling xenophobia, or fear of foreigners
Immigration act of 1924, was designed to limit the number of Asians and Southern and Northern Europe, manly Jews, who could immigrate to the United States
After NAFTA in 1994, more immigrants, manly Mexicans, were coming over illegally
People began to dislike immigration after the surprise terrorist attack on September 11, 2001
Made people want safer and more secure boarders

Origins of Act:

Legislators have sought to protect the status of young people who arrived in this country without knowingly breaking any laws
Failed to pass multiple times starting in August of 2001

Specifics:

Doesn't make a person automatically a legal US citizen
Provides a path for young immigrants to gain citizenship and get some benefits
Illegal immigrants must have been younger than sixteen when they first came to this country; must have been in the United States for at least five years; must have earned a high school diploma or a GED; and must be “of good moral character
Must not have any criminal records
Need to give personal data if you want to gain citizenship under this Act

Support the Act:

Benefits the economy and the nation security (based on Barrack Obama)
Gives Hard-Working, Patriotic Young People a Shot at the American Dream”
Can help with more soldiers going in to help with the "shortage" of soldiers
Richard Durbin, primary author of the 2001 DREAM Act, introduced the act many times

Opposition of the Act:

This bill, sadly, does nothing to fix our broken immigration system. It may be worse that we’re providing incentive for future illegal immigration. This bill does nothing for border security, workplace enforcement, visa overstays, which account for about 40% of illegal immigration in this country. In other words it does nothing to reduce the likelihood of future illegal immigration.”-Senator John Cornyn
Florida senator Marco Rubio- claimed it rewarded or encouraged illegal immigration
senators stalled the act in 2010 through a Republican-led filibuster, which is a tactic used to prevent legislative action through prolonged debate

President Obama's Executive Order:

US government would no longer deport illegal immigrants who arrived in the United States before they turned sixteen, were younger than thirty, have been in the country for 5 years,who are in school, high school graduates, or military veterans, and have clean criminal records
allows illegal immigrants the opportunity to get drivers’ licenses and work permits and to apply for college in the United States
may also be eligible for health insurance and in-state college tuition benefits
when effected, tens of thousands of young immigrants lined up at immigration centers across the United States
Arizona governor Jan Brewer issued an executive order that denied many benefits, including drivers’ license privileges and state-funded insurance and childcare, to program applicants throughout her state

The Future of the Act:

Obama and similar minded legislatures, continue to fight for the DREAM Act, but there are still many people against it
By October 2012, several states had refused to enforce Obama’s order and filed suits challenging it
rising number of states have passed a similar bill to help young immigrants gain access to higher education
By July 2014- sixteen states had passed legislation to allow immigrant students to pay in-state tuition fees
As of 2015, the DREAM Act had not been passed by Congress.

Frequently Asked Questions about Immigration:

Republican Senators Present Dream Act Alternative:

Fewer immigrants would qualify than the Act before
Wouldn't guarantee a pathway to citizenship
Immigrants brought here before age 14 could apply for student visas if younger than 29 and currently enrolled in a college degree program
Applicants younger than 32 could qualify if they already hold a degree from an American college
After graduation they could get work visas that have to be renewed every 4 years
Would not prevent them from from a green card
Plan to create a more "comprehensive" immigration bills
Kay Bailey Hutchinson believes that things should move one at a time
Believes that it will be more effective (big bills haven't worked in the past)
Bill would be used "to get the ball rolling" on permanent legal solution to immigration

Democratic View on Immigration:

Based on the idea the US is based on immigrants
Believe that there needs to be a fix to the immigration system
Immigrants that are here illegally, that pays taxes, should have full participation in America
Don't believe all illegal immigrants should have that path to citizenship
Want to offer them more English classes so they can have responsibilities of citizenship
Believe more money should go to INS to decrease the wait time to become an immigrant
Believe that immigrants are short on their Due Process protection

Obama's View on Immigration:

Bill Clinton on Immigration:

Source:

http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?failOverType=&query=&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&display-query=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Reference&limiter=&u=nysl_we_aldenhs&currPage=&disableHighlighting=true&displayGroups=&sortBy=&source=&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&action=e&catId=GALE%7CHPZVWQ261035391&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CPC3010999157
http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/special-reports/addressing-common-questions-on-immigration
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/nov/27/news/la-pn-republican-senators-dream-act-20121127
http://www.republicanviews.org/democratic-view-on-immigration/

Monday, November 23, 2015