How many times have we heard the Democrats repeat the cliché “Do it for the children” as an excuse to forward the left wing agenda? Big government programs such as SCHIP, Head Start, and No Child Left Behind do nothing to help American’s children, but self righteous liberals will attack conservatives who oppose them as anti-child.
Following this ignoble tradition comes the DREAM Act, an amnesty that is ostensibly “for the children.” According to the DREAM Act’s proponents, it applies only to illegal aliens who were brought here before age 16, have been here for over five years, and are going to college or the military.
However, a closer inspection shows that the amnesty is not just for the children.
Under the DREAM Act illegal aliens up to age 35 may apply for amnesty. To receive provisional legal status, the minimum education level is only a GED. Then the illegal aliens need only say they intend to go to college. There are dozens of loopholes that allow multiple convicted criminals to receive amnesty.
The pro-amnesty Migration Policy Institute estimates that 2.1 million illegal aliens will be eligible for the DREAM Act, but that assumes no fraud or exploitation of the loopholes.
Remember the open borders’ lobby’s favorite euphemism for “illegal” is “undocumented.” Without documents, we have no way to know how long illegal aliens have been in this country, what age they came through, or even how old they are today. The House of Representatives version of the bill does not even include any punishment for lying on the application.
There is no numerical limitation of how many illegal aliens may apply and receive amnesty under the DREAM Act.
On top of this, once an illegal alien receives amnesty, they can sponsor their family members—including those who brought them here in the first place—for legal immigration.
Even if the DREAM Act only dealt with those genuinely brought here as children, it would be a bad idea. I sympathize these people, but with state budgets in crisis, double digit unemployment, and our colleges overcrowded, we cannot give any illegal immigrants special rewards. The Center for Immigration Studies places the cost of the DREAM Act to taxpayers at 6.2 billion dollars.
The DREAM Act even gives these illegal aliens privileges denied to many American citizens. If passed, illegal aliens will be eligible for taxpayer subsidized federal loans, and states would be able to grant in state tuition to illegal aliens.
The vast majority of illegal aliens eligible under the DREAM Act will be Hispanics who are eligible for racial preferences and affirmative action in college admissions in most states.
Congress rejected the DREAM Act in September knowing that the voters would punish pro-amnesty votes, but now the Reid, Pelosi, and Obama are trying to shove this down our throats in the lame duck session.
If Republicans stand united, they can block the amnesty. There are a handful of RINOs who Obama is targeting to vote with the Democrats. At the same time, there are about a dozen Democrats who have suggested they might vote against it.
This will be an incredibly close vote, and Americans should call up their representatives in Congress and let them know where they stand.
Defeating the DREAM Act will send a huge message to Congress: no amnesty, no exceptions, even if it’s “for the children.”