Thread: Group pushes plan for young immigrants who arrived illegally

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Group pushes plan for young immigrants who arrived illegally

By DAN ROBRISH
Associated Press Writer

July 17, 2005, 6:21 PM EDT

PHILADELPHIA -- Supporters of a proposed law that would benefit people who arrived in the United States illegally as children said Sunday that it would help more immigrants go on to get college degrees and contribute more to society.

During a rally held as part of the annual convention of a national Hispanic civil-rights group, people spoke out in support of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act. The proposal, known as the DREAM Act, would give undocumented youth the chance to become legal U.S. residents and possibly help them get in-state college tuition.

"We are not asking for any special treatment. We are only asking for the same right to go on and complete a higher education," Blanca Cabrera said during the rally at the convention of the National Council of La Raza. Cabrera was selected as a National Merit Scholar at her high school in Salem, Ore., and is active in a group called Latinos Unidos Siempre.

The proposal has failed in Congress in two previous sessions and has not been introduced in the current session. It would provide a conditional six-year legal status for immigrants who arrived before the age of 16 and have lived in the United States for at least five years.

To qualify, the immigrants must have gotten high school diplomas or GEDs in the United States and be of good moral character. Those who have completed two years of college or served two years in the U.S. armed forces by the end of that six-year period would qualify as lawful permanent residents of the United States.

Critics of the act say it would reward illegal behavior.

"An amnesty rewards illegal immigrants and sends the message to future illegal immigrants that they can sneak in, keep their heads down long enough and eventually get green cards," Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, said when the act was pending in Congress in 2003.

Supporters, however, say it is unfair to hold children responsible for their parents' decisions to immigrate illegally. Speaking later Sunday at another convention event, Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., cited a young woman who had arrived from Haiti as an infant and was locked up by immigration officials shortly after finishing high school. Dodd said she faced deportation even though she had college scholarships available in the United States and knew nothing about how to get by in her native land, not even the language.

"I just, in good conscience, could not see this young woman get deported," Dodd said. He said he got Congress to pass a bill specifically allowing that woman to stay in the United States, and has co-sponsored the DREAM Act because there are many more young people who deserve a similar opportunity.

Supporters at Sunday's rally also said passing the act would benefit the nation as a whole because it would help ambitious young people get higher education and contribute more to the economy.

"The overall economic benefit to our cities, states and nation would be dramatic," said Regan Cooper of the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition.

Deport her now!

Originally Posted by JackSmith

Deport her now!

Jacksmith,

I couldn't agree more! Deport her now! What gives this illegal alien child more rights over the millions of "legal" US resident children of the USA. I have to laugh over the qualifications from state to state to allow in-state tuition to illegal aliens. Proponents want to claim they only give these benefits to certain illegal alien children such as those, depending on the state, who have completed four or more years of school prior to college admittance and those who "promise" to pursue legal residency upon being accepted to a college. The pro-open borders lobby and others pushing these freeloading and parasitic bills claim it's immoral to not provide tax-payer subsidized college support even though many of these illegal alien children have already received a free public school education while detracting from and dumbing down the education at the expense of US legal school childrens' detriment for many years.

What gives these idiots the right to take advantage of US citizens when they should stay in their own countries and demand these same benefits for their children there? Don't they know that every US legal citizen child is also NOT RESPONSIBLE for how, when or where they were born so what gives these freeloaders a right to demand their "llegal brats" deserve the same benefits? They don't and they need to get lost and good riddance to them I say. Not only do they need to leave this country and leave our public schools, colleges too, but also our hospitals and other welfare benefits.

After all the atrocities freeloading illegal aliens are committing against middle and lower class US taxpaying citizens, I'm not even inclined to advocate just deporting or even forgetting about them. I think they should be put in jail Sure, jail costs the US taxpayer's millions every year, but these freeloaders need to be made to pay not only for their room and board while serving time in our jails but for any debts they owe taxpayers for theirs' and their childrens' free public welfare including education, medical, housing, etc. I know, let's send the bills to the leaders of their countries. Sure they will be ignored; however, there needs to be massive public exposure to shame them all as well as the parasitic leaders of their nations.

Supporters, however, say it is unfair to hold children responsible for their parents' decisions to immigrate illegally.

Yes we should. They didn’t illegally immigrate. The illegally invaded our country.

Quote:
Critics of the act say it would reward illegal behavior.

DAMN RIGHT IT WOULD. DEPORT ILLEGALS NOW!