Get Used to Fighting the Battle: The DREAM Act Will Never Go Away
Published on July 7th, 2011
Patriotic immigration reformers had better get used to the DREAM Act as a permanent part of the other side’s agenda. No matter how many times we beat back the DREAM Act—right now the count is ten during the last decade—it will continue to reappear, possibly forever or at least until Republicans control all three branches of the federal government.
If last year’s lame duck defeat didn’t put a stake into the DREAM Act’s heart, what will? In December 2010, the House passed it and the Senate had the votes but couldn’t deliver them despite incredible non-stop lobbying from the White House and the well financed Open Borders crowd.
Even though everyone from both sides of the political aisle agrees that the new DREAM Act (S. 952) has no chance, Senators Richard Durbin, Chuck Schumer and Harry Reid held a Senate Judiciary meeting to drag out more "outstanding" examples of illegal alien students who supposedly represent the reason why the legislation should pass. Of course, the poster boys, or in this case, a young woman named Angelica Hernandez, are good examples. [DREAM Act Gets First Senate Committee Hearing, Fox News, June 29, 2011]
The problem is that Hernandez and students like her who have been shamelessly paraded by other Senators over the years are not representative examples. Based on my 25-year career in a California school district dominated by Hispanic students, I can say with certainty that Hernandez, an Arizona State University valedictorian, is a rare exception who does not justify having bad legislation passed to suit her individual circumstances.
Most of the Hispanic students I delt with had average ability. Too many had a history of bad choices that led to high dropout rates. But despite their poor academic record, they would qualify for a DREAM Act amnesty.
The DREAM Act not only takes college opportunities away from Americans (the freshman classes can only accommodate so many students before all the seats are taken) but it also leads inevitably to higher population since the amnestied DREAMers can petition their mothers and fathers as soon as they become U.S. citizens and reach 21 years of age.
Furthermore, amnestied aliens will also be able to petition for their adult siblings living abroad to immigrate to the United States, further encouraging more chain migration and potential illegal entry for those who don’t want to wait in their native countries during the lengthy petition process. Then, when an adult brother or sister receives a green card, the family spouse and children of those adult siblings receive green cards, too.
On and on chain migration goes, never ending …just like our battle against the DREAM Act.