Thursday, September 20, 2007
Durbin's Dream Act would give amnesty to thousands of illegal alien students
http://bordercontrol.blogspot.com:80/



The U.S. Senate is considering legislation that would offer amnesty to thousands of students who entered the country before age 16 and who are illegal aliens. The "Dream Act" concept originally focused on allowing in-state tuition for illegals, but Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) said Thursday he would drop that element of his proposal to gain more support for the amnesty.

Groups opposed to amnesty, including U.S. Border Control, mounted fresh campaigns against the "Dream Act" as well as other immigration bills slated for consideration in the coming weeks.

Durbin said he intends to offer the federal legislation as an amendment to the annual defense spending bill. Under his proposal, anyone who entered the U.S. before age 16 and lived in the country at least five years and has a high school diploma could apply for amnesty. Over a six year period, the applicant would have to spend two years in college or in military service before becoming qualified for legal permanent residency and, ultimately, citizenship.

Those opposed to amnesty noted that no proof of arrival in the U.S. would be required. 'Any illegal can make a claim,' one man said. 'They are illegal. They don't have records. That is the rub here. So they will take advantage of an entire industry of falsified records. It could spell disaster.'