[migrawatch-public] FYI DREAM ACT to be introduced
> Lugar's bill aids immigrant children
> Sylvia A. Smith
> WASHINGTON There¹s always something good that emerges from a really bad
> situation.
> In the case of the lousy economy, one positive outcome would be
enactment of
> some sensible immigration legislation.
> Specifically, a bill to give the kids of illegal immigrants a path to
> citizenship.
> Sen. Richard Lugar has been a longtime and consistent supporter of such an
> approach, but intense and often ugly emotions have blocked it.
> But as the U.S. economy contracts, there are fewer jobs and less of a lure
> for people to cross the border illegally. With fewer undocumented
> immigrants, the boil-level fury in some quarters is likely to cool a bit.
> If anti-immigration sentiments are less stoked, it¹s possible the
> legislative climate on Capitol Hill would be more receptive to this
> common-sense approach to a situation that is not of these youngsters¹
> making.
> And that would be good for everyone.
> Lugar supports this approach for much the same reason that he worked
against
> congressional Republicans¹ attempt a few years ago to turn the school lunch
> program into a block grant for the states. (The upshot of that would have
> been to reduce the school lunch program.)
> His rationale: Children can¹t control what their parents do, where they
> move, how much money mom and dad make, whether they follow immigration
laws.
> And because they don¹t have a controlling vote in these adult decisions,
> Lugar believes, kids shouldn¹t be punished for their parents¹ actions or
> circumstances.
> Here¹s what happens: A child is brought to the U.S. by parents who cross
the
> border without proper immigration papers. The baby grows, attends school,
> gets good grades and graduates from high school.
> Now what?
> The kid is not a U.S. citizen. But he or she is certainly not a
³citizen² of
> the ancestral county. It is absurd and cruel to say the answer is to ship
> this young adult back to wherever the parents are from.
> Refusing to allow some way for these young people to legitimize their U.S.
> citizenship condemns them to dead-end jobs. It blocks them from attending
> affordable colleges because non-citizens are prohibited from getting
federal
> student financial aid, and states are barred from offering in-state tuition
> rates.
> How does the U.S. possibly benefit from creating a pool of people who
can do
> very little to contribute to the society?
> Lugar and some other senators (including then-Sen. Barack Obama), proposed
> that citizenship could be granted to these children after they graduate
from
> high school and complete two years of military service or college.
> There¹s nothing flashy and radical about this idea. It¹s a common-sense
> approach to a problem that the kids had no hand in creating.
> Opponents, however, say this would reward lawbreakers and encourage others
> to enter the U.S. illegally.
> Six-year-olds as lawbreakers? Absurd. The other point has some
legitimacy if
> you think more people would skirt immigration rules to live a shadowy life
> for a decade or more so that their children can get in-state tuition.
> But even if that is the case, the U.S. national interests are served by
> pulling down barriers that block talented children from getting a college
> education.
> When emotions about immigration are inflamed, even a modest foray into a
> logical immigration policy is demonized.
> Showing some compassion for these children would reflect well on America.
> Let¹s hope that Lugar and the other sponsors of this legislation called
> the DREAM Act (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act)
> find 2009 more hospitable.
> Sylvia A Smith has worked at The Journal Gazette since 1973 and has
covered
> Washington since 1989. She is the only Washington-based reporter who
> exclusively covers northeast Indiana. Her e-mail address is
> sylviasmith@jg.net. Her phone number is 202-879-6710.
> Copyright © 2008 The Journal Gazette. All rights reserved. News service
copy
> is used with permission. The information contained in the report may not be
> published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written
> authority of The Journal Gazette or granting news service.
> Sylvia A. Smith
> WASHINGTON There¹s always something good that emerges from a really bad
> situation.
> In the case of the lousy economy, one positive outcome would be
enactment of
> some sensible immigration legislation.
> Specifically, a bill to give the kids of illegal immigrants a path to
> citizenship.
> Sen. Richard Lugar has been a longtime and consistent supporter of such an
> approach, but intense and often ugly emotions have blocked it.
> But as the U.S. economy contracts, there are fewer jobs and less of a lure
> for people to cross the border illegally. With fewer undocumented
> immigrants, the boil-level fury in some quarters is likely to cool a bit.
> If anti-immigration sentiments are less stoked, it¹s possible the
> legislative climate on Capitol Hill would be more receptive to this
> common-sense approach to a situation that is not of these youngsters¹
> making.
> And that would be good for everyone.
> Lugar supports this approach for much the same reason that he worked
against
> congressional Republicans¹ attempt a few years ago to turn the school lunch
> program into a block grant for the states. (The upshot of that would have
> been to reduce the school lunch program.)
> His rationale: Children can¹t control what their parents do, where they
> move, how much money mom and dad make, whether they follow immigration
laws.
> And because they don¹t have a controlling vote in these adult decisions,
> Lugar believes, kids shouldn¹t be punished for their parents¹ actions or
> circumstances.
> Here¹s what happens: A child is brought to the U.S. by parents who cross
the
> border without proper immigration papers. The baby grows, attends school,
> gets good grades and graduates from high school.
> Now what?
> The kid is not a U.S. citizen. But he or she is certainly not a
³citizen² of
> the ancestral county. It is absurd and cruel to say the answer is to ship
> this young adult back to wherever the parents are from.
> Refusing to allow some way for these young people to legitimize their U.S.
> citizenship condemns them to dead-end jobs. It blocks them from attending
> affordable colleges because non-citizens are prohibited from getting
federal
> student financial aid, and states are barred from offering in-state tuition
> rates.
> How does the U.S. possibly benefit from creating a pool of people who
can do
> very little to contribute to the society?
> Lugar and some other senators (including then-Sen. Barack Obama), proposed
> that citizenship could be granted to these children after they graduate
from
> high school and complete two years of military service or college.
> There¹s nothing flashy and radical about this idea. It¹s a common-sense
> approach to a problem that the kids had no hand in creating.
> Opponents, however, say this would reward lawbreakers and encourage others
> to enter the U.S. illegally.
> Six-year-olds as lawbreakers? Absurd. The other point has some
legitimacy if
> you think more people would skirt immigration rules to live a shadowy life
> for a decade or more so that their children can get in-state tuition.
> But even if that is the case, the U.S. national interests are served by
> pulling down barriers that block talented children from getting a college
> education.
> When emotions about immigration are inflamed, even a modest foray into a
> logical immigration policy is demonized.
> Showing some compassion for these children would reflect well on America.
> Let¹s hope that Lugar and the other sponsors of this legislation called
> the DREAM Act (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act)
> find 2009 more hospitable.
> Sylvia A Smith has worked at The Journal Gazette since 1973 and has
covered
> Washington since 1989. She is the only Washington-based reporter who
> exclusively covers northeast Indiana. Her e-mail address is
> sylviasmith@jg.net. Her phone number is 202-879-6710.
> Copyright © 2008 The Journal Gazette. All rights reserved. News service
copy
> is used with permission. The information contained in the report may not be
> published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written
> authority of The Journal Gazette or granting news service.
------ End of Forwarded Message
--
pimp the system.
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