Thread: CA-Baca bill offers path to citizenship

Baca bill offers path to citizenship
Stephen Wall
Posted: 07/04/2009 09:00:00 PM PDT


Thousands of illegal immigrant students who graduate from high school could become U.S. citizens under a new bill pending in Congress.

Rep. Joe Baca, D-San Bernardino, recently introduced legislation to allow high school graduates to apply for U.S. citizenship after meeting certain academic requirements and paying a reduced fee.

The People Resolved to Obtain an Understanding of Democracy (PROUD) Act mandates that any high school graduate who can furnish transcripts proving completion of grades six through 12, displays an understanding of U.S. history, government and civics, and can prove they are of good moral character be allowed to apply for citizenship.

Baca said the legislation requires students who qualify for citizenship to go to "the end of the line" behind others who are waiting to have their applications processed.

He said students also cannot have criminal backgrounds and must be able to speak English.

The opportunity for legal status would provide students with an incentive to graduate from high school, helping reduce the dropout rate, Baca said.

"That's a motive for students to say, `I'm not going to get in trouble while I'm in school," Baca said. "I'm not going to be creating mischief because I want a path toward citizenship."

Baca's bill is opposed by groups like the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which favors reduced immigration levels.

"It is just another amnesty bill that really
doesn't have any justification other than it is a way to reward parents indirectly through their kids," said Ira Mehlman, the group's spokesman. "It basically tells parents that if you come to the United States illegally and bring your kids, if the kids manage to get their high school diploma, they get a green card along with it."
Baca said it is wrong to have policies that unfairly punish "innocent young people" who came to America by no choice of their own as children and want to succeed in school and make better lives for themselves and their families.

Some students whom the bill is intended to help have other problems with the proposal.

Hector Gonzalez, a 24-year-old Cal Poly Pomona student, said he is opposed to the requirement that students must be between the ages of 18 and 25 to qualify.

"I have a lot of friends who are over 25 who have college degrees and are working in restaurants," said Gonzalez, who plans to graduate next year with a mechanical engineering degree. "This wouldn't work for them."

Elena Rosales, a 23-year-old Cal State San Bernardino student, also doesn't understand the age limit.

"I think everyone should be included, as long as they work hard and are doing something productive with their lives," said Rosales, who hopes to graduate in December with a public health degree.

Gonzalez and Rosales, both of whom were brought to this country illegally as young children, said they support another bill working its way through Congress called the Dream Act. Baca also favors the legislation.

The Dream Act allows illegal immigrant students who have grown up in the United States to apply for temporary legal status and eventually obtain permanent status and become eligible for citizenship if they go to college or serve in the military. The Senate version of the bill requires that the student be under age 35.

Baca spokesman Mike Trujillo said the Proud Act has the age restriction because it is meant "to focus on young people to encourage their education and their matriculation through the school process."

--stephen.wall@inlandnewspapers.com



http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_12748321

All these students should go home and apply from there, not stay here working illegally and get into the front of the line just because they have had a US education, at taxpayer expense.

Baca said the legislation requires students who qualify for citizenship to go to "the end of the line" behind others who are waiting to have their applications processed.

The "end of the line" starts in their homeland, not here in the United States. IMO, an illegal should never be able to process an application for citizenship while residing here illegally! I say go home and apply for a green card like all other legal immigrants do.

Originally Posted by MW

Baca said the legislation requires students who qualify for citizenship to go to "the end of the line" behind others who are waiting to have their applications processed.

The "end of the line" starts in their homeland, not here in the United States. IMO, an illegal should never be able to process an application for citizenship while residing here illegally! I say go home and apply for a green card like all other legal immigrants do.

EXACTLY MW!

Baca said the legislation requires students who qualify for citizenship to go to "the end of the line" behind others who are waiting to have their applications processed.

I see...does Baca's legislation define where the "end of the line" might actually be? My definition of "end of the line" means being required to go back to your country of orgin and apply for citizenship the correct way - behind those who did not enter this country illegally and then expect special treatment. End of the line means behind those who have respected our sovereignty as well as immigration laws.

Othwerwise, one is not going to the "end of the line," but a defacto front of the line, being rewarded for their illegal behavior. The "end of the line" is behind those who have waited in their countries of orgin to immigrate to this country the legal way!

I see...does Baca's legislation define where the "end of the line" might actually be? My definition of "end of the line" means being required to go back to your country of orgin and apply for citizenship the correct way - behind those who did not enter this country illegally and then expect special treatment. End of the line means behind those who have respected our sovereignty as well as immigration laws.

Othwerwise, one is not going to the "end of the line," but a defacto front of the line, being rewarded for their illegal behavior. The "end of the line" is behind those who have waited in their countries of orgin to immigrate to this country the legal way!

To the idiots we voted into our government, the end of the line has welfare, free houses, free school and free medical services!

The People Resolved to Obtain an Understanding of Democracy (PROUD) Act mandates that any high school graduate who can furnish transcripts proving completion of grades six through 12, displays an understanding of U.S. history, government and civics, and can prove they are of good moral character be allowed to apply for citizenship.

How can they prove they are good moral character when juvenile crime records are sealed or expunged? How would you know if they are a criminal, dope pusher, car jacker or gangster? Some are convicted felons before they get out of high school or become an adult at 18 years old.

Dixie

Hector Gonzalez, a 24-year-old Cal Poly Pomona student, said he is opposed to the requirement that students must be between the ages of 18 and 25 to qualify.

Last I heard the age limit was 35, did that get changed?

Bowman wrote:

Last I heard the age limit was 35, did that get changed?

You're thinking of the Dream Act. This bill is called the PROUD Act.

Originally Posted by MW

Bowman wrote:

Last I heard the age limit was 35, did that get changed?

You're thinking of the Dream Act. This bill is called the PROUD Act.

DREAM='s America's nightmare!
PROUD ='s America's Embarrassment!