Thread: Here's What's Going On Behind the Scenes on DACA

Here’s what’s going on behind the scenes on DACA

By Jennifer Rubin September 14 at 2:36 PM

Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) in Washington on Jan. 28, 2015. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg)


As President Trump shattered the illusions of his base that he has any scruples whatsoever, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan is struggling to remain relevant. The Hill reports:

Shortly after speaking with President Trump, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said Thursday there is still “no agreement” with Democrats on how to help thousands of immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children.“There is no agreement. The president and [his] chief of staff called me from Air Force One today to discuss what was discussed, and it was a discussion, not an agreement or a negotiation,” Ryan told reporters at his weekly news conference.“These were discussions, not negotiations. This isn’t an agreement,” he said.

He does not disguise panic well.


Republicans (at least some of them) in the House and Senate figured out long ago that if the “dreamers” problem is to be solved, they will need to be the ones to do it. Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) put out a statement saying he is waiting for Trump’s proposal. Actually, it is an open secret that a significant group of Republicans, not just Gang of Eight-type Republicans, are moving ahead with their own plan. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) announced last week that he intended to offer dreamer legislation. In addition, staunch conservative Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) is said to be on board. And while two hurricanes have delayed progress, it is widely believed that he will introduce something next week.

What would be in it? It is likely to follow the outlines of a plan put together by the Niskanen Center, a center-right think tank. Niskanen has circulated a document laying out the basic components of what could be a GOP Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals fix. Entitled tentatively the Recognizing America’s Children Act (RAC), is a somewhat stricter version of the Dream Act that has been around for years (and versions of which failed to pass both houses in 2010 and 2013). It would apply to those who entered​ ​the United States unlawfully below the age of 16 and have maintained continuous physical​ ​presence since​ ​Jan.​ ​1, 2012. The person may not have​ ​convictions​ ​for federal/state crimes​ ​punishable by​ ​a​ ​maximum-term​ ​imprisonment of more than​ ​one year or ​convictions​ ​for federal/state crime(s)​ ​totaling more​ ​than​ one ​year in​ ​prison. Those applying must submit​ ​to biometric screening​ ​and a background​ ​check. They would be eligible for conditional permanent status if they meet certain educational requirements, have clean records and remained in school or gainfully employed, and they could apply for green-card status after five years. (RAC follows a similar bill in the House coming together under the auspices of Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.).)


It’s “a conservative solution to the undocumented dreamer problem,” says Niskanen Center President Jerry Taylor. “The need for such a bill has never been more pressing than it is now. It’s a pragmatic and compassionate approach to the dreamer issue, it will benefit Americans economically, and it heeds the wishes of the majority of Americans who want dreamers to stay.”


RAC’s terms under consideration are somewhat tougher than the Dream Act on issues such as the maximum age on arrival (16 for RAC, 18 for the Dream Act), the educational requirements and the requirement of continuous presence. Republicans know very well that the president is not insisting that the wall be part of the negotiations, but they do intend to include funding for border security measures including fencing, drones and road-building for border security personnel.


All of this would comport with Trump’s comments (at least some of them) today. Rather than immediate green-card status, they would have “conditional permanent status.”


Trump and Congress would have to agree to border security measures, as Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) acknowledged on the Senate floor today. “While both sides agreed that the wall would not be any part of this agreement, the president made clear he intends to pursue it at a later time, and we made clear we would continue to oppose it,” Schumer said. “We’re not for the wall. We’ll never be for the wall — it’s expensive, it’s ineffective, and it involves a lot of difficult eminent domain — taking people’s property — and apparently it’s not being paid for by Mexico.” That leaves a host of other measures, as Schumer mentioned, including “great sensory equipment.”


Trump’s hardcore base has figured out he’s utterly unreliable. But that leaves a large contingent on both sides of the aisles in both houses that want to get DACA enshrined in law. Whether the end product looks more like RAC or more like the Dream Act and how extensive the border security measures are will be left to negotiators. Trump may want to tell everyone what they want to hear, but when it comes down to a bill, he’ll sign a bipartisan measure that in fact legalizes dreamers and beefs up border control — without a wall.


UPDATE: Lankford’s office confirms that he is working with Tillis on a DACA-related bill as a conservative alternative to the Dream Act. The Lankford-Tillis bill could be introduced as soon as next week. Lankford considers the Lankford-Tillis bill as a more long-term fix that will discourage future illegal immigration by families.



https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/jennifer-rubin/

History

The Niskanen Center was founded in early 2015 by Jerry Taylor.[7] At its launch, the center was composed primarily of former staffers of the Cato Institute who departed in the wake of a 2012 leadership struggle pitting Ed Crane against the Koch Brothers for control of the libertarian think tank.[8] Niskanen Center founder Taylor[9] and vice president Joe Coon[10] publicly aligned themselves with Crane during the dispute. Both departed shortly after Crane was replaced by John Allison as president of Cato as part of the settlement with the Kochs.

Funding for the center includes donors who seek to counter conservative hostility to anti-global warming measures. North Carolina businessman Jay Faison, a Republican donor, announced his contributions to the Niskanen Center as part of a long term strategy for climate action to gain a foothold within the GOP.[11] Some supporters of the Niskanen Center are more traditionally aligned with liberal causes. They include the Open Philanthropy Project, which supports the Center's work to expand legal immigration,[12] the Lawrence Linden Trust for Conservation, which provided the Niskanen Center with a grant "to develop and analyze a potential economy-wide carbon tax",[13] and a $400,000 operations grant from the Hewlett Foundation.[14]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niskanen_Center

These "think tanks" are not think tanks, they aren't academic, impartial, unbiased research organizations. They are illegal lobbying organizations operating in direct violation of US tax law, all of them, every single one of them, is politically motivated, politically funded to do tax-free, tax-deductible illegal lobbying.

Pass the FairTax, shut 'em down.

Shortly after speaking with President Trump, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said Thursday there is still “no agreement” with Democrats on how to help thousands of immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children.“There is no agreement. The president and [his] chief of staff called me from Air Force One today to discuss what was discussed, and it was a discussion, not an agreement or a negotiation,” Ryan told reporters at his weekly news conference.“These were discussions, not negotiations. This isn’t an agreement,” he said.

And we're supposed to believe anything Rep. Paul Ryan says? True or not, this man lost credibility on any issue concerning immigration long ago.