No one ever thought getting any kind of meaningful immigration reform was going to be easy. It might even be impossible, given the diametrically opposed positions that both right and left are coming from. Last night, the Trump Administration sent what is being called a list of “hard line principles” on immigration to Congress, which apparently included several items related to the status of the so-called “Dreamers” and the now-legal limbo that the DACA beneficiaries are now in.
The administration’s wish list includes the funding of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, a crackdown on the influx of Central American minors and curbs on federal grants to “sanctuary cities,” according to a document distributed to Congress and obtained by The Washington Post.
The demands were quickly denounced by Democratic leaders in Congress who had hoped to forge a deal with President Trump to protect younger immigrants, known as “dreamers,” who were brought to the United States illegally as children. Trump announced plans last month to phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, an Obama-era program that had provided two-year work permits to the dreamers that Trump called “unconstitutional.”
About 690,000 immigrants are enrolled in DACA, but their work permits are set to begin expiring in March. Trump had met last month with Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and agreed to try to strike a deal, worrying immigration hawks who feared that Trump would support a bill that would allow dreamers to gain full legal status without asking for significant border security measures in return.
The list released by the administration, however, would represent a major tightening of immigration laws. Cuts to legal immigration also are included.
This is a rather big about-face from what was being reported just a few weeks ago.
Naturally, Democrats, who want the “Dreamers” legalized immediately, lashed out.
“The administration can’t be serious about compromise or helping the Dreamers if they begin with a list that is anathema to the Dreamers, to the immigrant community and to the vast majority of Americans,” Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a joint statement.
They added if President Trump was “serious” during a closed-door meeting last month about helping current undocumented immigrants covered by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, “his staff has not made a good faith effort to do so.”
While those on the right were more approving, or cautiously optimistic.
The immigration principles released tonight by Trump Admin. are excellent.
Now hold the Admin. responsible to actually fight for them.
— Josh Hammer (@josh_hammer) October 9, 2017
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) October 9, 2017
The list "is anathema to the Dreamers"? What exactly is their legislative role? https://t.co/CCrjBe37zg
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) October 9, 2017
My statement on the Trump administration’s immigration principles: https://t.co/AV5Ba2r8z2 pic.twitter.com/5RVTmvglVy
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) October 9, 2017
And also pointed out that Democrats haven’t exactly been pushing for anything that would have helped the current DACA recipients.
If you were serious about giving the DACAs stability, you'd have offered something real to limit the fallout of the amnesty, like E-Verify https://t.co/5nMXKHVqO1
— Mark Krikorian (@MarkSKrikorian) October 9, 2017
Yes, I do feel badly that the DACA recipients are victims of circumstance, but that doesn’t mean that they should get a free pass around immigration law. President Obama compounded the problem by using his executive order powers to create a “temporary” fix out of whole cloth. Congress has continued to kick the can down the road, hoping that the problem would go away. Well, no. Some kind of reform must be done. The GOP still carries the memory of being burned on President Reagan’s “one time” amnesty fix. In 1986, 2.7 million people ended up being legalized. The current number of illegal aliens, including DACA recipients, is now estimated to be around 11 million. Doesn’t something have to change? Shouldn’t current immigration law – which is clearly broken – be fixed in such a way that allows for legal immigrants to not be penalized for following rules? Is this current list of principles the be-all-and-end-all of immigration reform? No. It is the latest gambit in a long political game of chess that’s been going on for decades.
First, tax international wire transferred money. There is a bill dying in a committee in the House right now to put a 2% tax on it. That would fund the Wall.
Second, anyone allowed to stay here, as wrong as that is, must never be allowed to vote for in a congressional or presidential election. The only exception is if the individual serves honorably in the military.
Third, if allowed to stay they cannot be eligible for any welfare programs for at minimum 5 years.
Fourth, they must be able to prove they are gainfully employed if not in school. If in school they must be passing all subjects.
And fifth, if found guilty of any felony that is grounds for immediate deportation.
First, tax international wire transferred money. There is a bill dying in a committee in the House right now to put a 2% tax on it. That would fund the Wall.
Second, anyone allowed to stay here, as wrong as that is, must never be allowed to vote for in a congressional or presidential election. The only exception is if the individual serves honorably in the military.
Third, if allowed to stay they cannot be eligible for any welfare programs for at minimum 5 years.
Fourth, they must be able to prove they are gainfully employed if not in school. If in school they must be passing all subjects.
Fifth, if found guilty of any felony that is grounds for immediate deportation.
Sixth, anyone coming here illegally after a date specified will be deported.
Skilly, I’m with you on most of that, the only thing I’d change is number 4, to say “If in school, they must be passing a majority of classes”… With a kid (American Citizen) that just graduated High School, I know that all kids occasionally have a rough class or period, and might fail a class here and there, so I’d cut some slack… but not much.
And ending birthright citizenship. I think there’s a line in the 14th Amendment that allows Congress to do that.
This will be entertaining.
The Conservatives/GOP and the Progs/Democrats both want hoards of illegal aliens that “someone else” will pay for. Different reasons; same destructive effect on the United States. It’s the “Uni-Party”.
Do you think that this was designed to set the tone for the up-coming elections?
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