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Illegal Immigration in the United States Remains Unchanged – Due to Recession?
The Pew Hispanic Report does not spell out the reasons behind the illegal immigration numbers stabilization but you don’t have to be a brain donor to understand.After two years of declines, the number of illegal immigrants living in the U.S. was virtually unchanged last year, according to a report released Tuesday by the Pew Hispanic Center.
The annual report, relied upon by both sides in the contentious immigration debate, found 11.2 million illegal immigrants living in the U.S., statistically identical to the 11.1 million estimated in 2009. The number peaked in 2007 at 12 million and dropped steadily as the economy collapsed.
“It seems the decline has halted as of 2010,” Jeffrey Passel, one of the report’s authors, said in a conference call with reporters.
The center’s findings do not include reasons for the decline or for the stabilization in the illegal immigrant population, which has widely been attributed to the sluggish economy and tougher enforcement.
“Common sense suggests both of them are, in fact, factors,” said Paul Taylor, the center’s director.
The stabilization seems to stem largely from a dwindling number of people making the often perilous journey into the U.S. from Mexico.
“People in Mexico look at the U.S. economy, they look at the U.S. as a potential source of employment, and they see that the opportunities aren’t here,” Passel said. “They weigh that against the cost of hiring somebody to get them across the border and the risks of getting across the border.”
The report also found that illegal immigrants in 2010 were parents of 5.5 million children, 4.5 million of whom were born in the U.S. and are citizens. Because illegal immigrants are younger and more likely to be married, they represented a disproportionate share of births — 8% of the babies born in the U.S. between March 2009 and March 2010 were to at least one illegal immigrant parent.
The entire report can be viewed or downloaded here (Pdf).
Some summary points:
- The number of unauthorized immigrants decreased from 2007 to 2010 in Colorado, Florida, New York and Virginia. The combined population in three contiguous Mountain West states-Arizona, Nevada and Utah-also declined.
- In contrast to the national trend, the combined unauthorized immigrant population in three contiguous West South Central states-Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas-grew from 2007 to 2010.
- Although the number of unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. is below 2007 levels, it has tripled since 1990, when it was 3.5 million and grown by a third since 2000, when it was 8.4 million.
With the hiatus or stabilization of illegal alien migration from Mexico, it is imperative that the Congress enact an enforceable employer verification system for employees. It is obvious that when the economy improves the pressure on the Mexican border will increase.
Since it is unlikely that the Obama Administration will increase the enforcement of existing immigration laws or increase border security, it will fall to the states and the Congress – probably setting up a Presidential election year confrontation.
It is not surprising that California which has the highest number of illegal immigrants, also is one of the states most financially impacted by the recession. You see social welfare, medical and education expenses continue for the children born of the illegal immigrants, year after year.
Also, Nevada is feeling the impacts.
Nevada has the largest share of illegal workers in the nation, with roughly 10 percent of its work force not authorized by the federal government, according to the Pew Hispanic Center, a nonpartisan research group.
The report published Tuesday shows a slight jump in illegal workers as Nevada’s job market has shrunk amid record unemployment. Nevada’s population of illegal workers was 9.4 percent in 2009. The Silver State’s unemployment rate has since climbed to 14.5 percent, the highest in the nation.
Nevada also has the largest share of illegal immigrants at 7.2 percent. Only 3.7 percent of people in the United States are illegal immigrants.
Nevada’s illegal immigrants are far from the mightiest immigrant community in the United States. California’s 1.85 million illegal workers, for example, are the largest in the nation. But they represent only 9.7 percent of the Golden State’s work force.
Nevada’s illegal workers soared in 2007 before the recession hit, climbing to 240,000 employees. That number dropped to 190,000 in 2010.
But, while the numbers MAY have stabilized, the babies born from the illegal immigrants remain. All are American citizens who are entitled to social welfare and education.
Can the states and federal government, any longer afford neglecting this issue?
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Shocker: Over a Million Immigrants Land American Jobs from 2008-2010
A group of immigrant day laborers stand near a street corner waiting for work in the Staten Island borough of New York August 3, 2010
And, most of the immigrants were illegal aliens to boot.Over the past two years, as U.S. unemployment remained near double-digit levels and the economy shed jobs in the wake of the financial crisis, over a million foreign-born arrivals to America found work, many illegally.
Those are among the findings of a review of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census Bureau data conducted exclusively for Reuters by researchers at the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University in Boston.
Often young and unskilled or semi-skilled, immigrants have taken jobs Americans could do in areas like construction, willing to work for less wages. Others land jobs that unemployed Americans turn up their noses at or lack the skills to do.
With a national unemployment rate of 9.4 percent, domestic job creation is at the top of President Barack Obama’s agenda and such findings could add to calls to tighten up on illegal immigration. But much of it is Hispanic and the growing Latino vote is a key base for Obama’s Democratic Party.
Many of the new arrivals, according to employers, brought with them skills required of the building trade and found work in sectors such as construction, where jobless rates are high.
“Employers have chosen to use new immigrants over native-born workers and have continued to displace large numbers of blue-collar workers and young adults without college degrees,” said Andrew Sum, the director of the Center for Labor Market Studies.
“One of the advantages of hiring, particularly young, undocumented immigrants, is the fact that employers do not have to pay health benefits or basic payroll taxes,” said Sum.
From 2008 to 2010, 1.1 million new migrants who have entered America since 2008 landed jobs, even as U.S. household employment declined by 6.26 million over that same period.
These facts are something that will need to be addressed by my Congressman Elton Gallegly as he takes over the House Immigration Subcommittee.
Americans are out of work, illegal immigrations are displacing them in the work force because they work cheaper, and the immigration laws are not enforced while thousands of folks continue to come across the boader from Mexico.
Immigration will be a Congressional issue in 2011 and in the Presidential campaign in 2012.
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Why California Rep. Elton Gallegly was a Solid Choice for Immigration Subcommittee Chair
Representative Elton Gallegly, R-Simi Valley and Flap, January 15, 2010, Thousand Oaks, California
NumbersUSA has a great piece on my Congressman Elton Gallegly who was recently appointed Chairman of the House Immigration Subcommittee.Rep. Gallegly is among an elite group of Immigration-Reduction Champions. Only two other House Members have taken more constructive actions in their careers to reduce the flow of both illegal and legal immigration. The No. 3 champion Gallegly will be serving under the No. 1 champion, House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith.
Gallegly has earned a Career “A” Grade from NumbersUSA. He has a perfect score in 5 of our 9 categories, and only one category is less than 92%.
Last Congress, Gallegly sponsored 3 of our “5 Great Immigration-Reduction Bills” – the SAVE Act, the CLEAR Act, and the Visa Lottery elimination bill. He also introduced his own legislation – the Enforce Immigration Law Act of 2009 that would have required information sharing between the Department of Homeland Security and the IRS to help root out illegal aliens in the workplace.
But to understand the real commitment Rep. Gallegly has to reducing immigration, one can look back to the 1996 debate that resulted in the passing of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act.
Read all of the piece here and you will understand why the appointment of the 16 years more of seniority Gallegy was a very solid choice to fight illegal immigration and lead this subcommittee.
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House Republicans Name California’s Rep. Elton Gallegly to Lead Immigration Subcommittee
California GOP delegation could have sway on immigration issues in Congress
This is a good appointment for my Congressional district and for California.Signaling their approach to immigration reform this year will be hawkish but not rhetorically extreme, House Republicans have chosen a Southern California congressman to head the group of lawmakers that drafts and introduces immigration policy.
The solidly pro-enforcement Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Simi Valley, was named Friday morning to lead the immigration subcommittee in the House of Representatives, which falls under the judiciary committee. House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith, R-Texas, surprised many when he chose Gallegly over outspoken Iowa Republican Steve King, who was widely considered to have the job. King will instead be vice chairman.
Groups that work to halt illegal immigration praised news of the duo’s leadership, but liberal groups interpreted Gallegly’s higher position as a snubbing of King’s harsh tone.
“The answer to illegal immigration is fairly simple,” Gallegly said in a news release Friday. “First, we must enforce our laws and secure the border. Second, we must remove the magnets that encourage illegal immigration. Finally, we must remove the benefits that make it easy for them to stay.”
Gallegly said he would oppose any form of amnesty, and he pledged to quickly hold hearings to scrutinize the Obama administration’s approach to work site enforcement and to expand the use of E-Verify, a program for employer screening of workers’ immigration status.Missing from Gallegly’s statements Friday was any mention of revoking birthright citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants, a hot-button cause that has been a pet issue for King and other immigration hawks. King introduced a bill earlier in the week that would end automatic citizenship for children born in the United States to illegal immigrant parents.
I am glad Elton has been appointed to this chairmanship. He is tough, but fair on illegal immigration.
And, he will actually get something done, meaning legislation will be written in the Congress. Getting it through the U.S. Senate will probably be difficult and past President Obama’s veto pen more than difficult – but that is another story.
Look for movement on E-Verify, employer sanctions and Congressional hearings if the Justice Department will NOT enforce existing immigration law.
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The DREAM Act Fails in the United States Senate – Now Lets Secure the Mexican Border
Undocumented college students and supporters watch the Senate’s cloture vote on the Dream Act at the UCLA Downtown Labor Center in Los Angeles, Saturday, Dec. 18, 2010. The Dream Act would give provisional legal status to illegal immigrants brought to the country as children
Any type of amnesty for illegal aliens is not going to happen until the southern border with Mexico is secured. The U.S. Senate made it clear today.The weeks of rallies, hunger strikes and sit-ins and the thousands of phone calls placed to Senate offices didn’t pay off for immigration activists.
The decade-old DREAM Act once again failed to break a filibuster in the Senate on Saturday morning, effectively killing the bill this year and shutting the door on what perhaps was the last chance for pro-immigration reform legislation until at least the 2012 election.
Senate Democrats came up five votes short of the 60 needed to advance the House-passed bill, which would provide a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants brought to the country as children if they attend college or join the military for two years.
The 55-41 vote was mostly along party lines, though a handful of Democrats — perhaps fearful of their 2012 election outlook — also voted against the DREAM Act.
Mickey Kaus has the politics of the vote here.
Swing votes: Lincoln—yes …Brownback—no … Scott Brown—no … Tester— no … Snowe—no … Nelson—no … Kirk—no … Sherrod Brown—yes … Lemieux—no … Baucus—no … Webb—yes … Voinovich—no … McCaskill—yes … Hagan—no … Murkowski—yes … Hutchison—no … Collins—no …
Final vote: 55 yes, 41 no … DREAM fails to get cloture. It looks like a close thing. My side’s line will (not implausibly) be that the DREAMers fell five votes short of the 60 they needed … The four senators who ducked having to vote include Manchin, who seems a bit cowardly for that. Maybe he has an excuse. [Update: Politico says he put out a statement opposing DREAM.] Also Hatch, Gregg, and Bunning. At least those last two seem like “no” votes, and none of the three was a sure yes … All in all, five Dems voted no (Tester, Baucus, Pryor, Ben Nelson, Hagan) … Semi-surprise “yes” vote: Dorgan, retiring Democrat who has on occasion been a “comprehensive reform”-skeptic from the old-school union, anti-cheap labor point of view. During the informative (only 50% cheerleading) lo-fi Numbers USA live feed, Rosemary Jenks attributes this to Dorgan’s desire to take a university position when he retires. I guess you can’t be a college president and oppose DREAM …
The fact is the DREAM Act has been languishing in the Congress for a decade and with GOP regaining control of the House, it will be DEAD for at least two years.
Now, is the time for the Congress to vote to secure the border with Mexico and stop the influx of illegal aliens. It is out of control in California and will have REAL political effects for the GOP and America, if the diluge is NOT stopped and stopped now.
Thanks to those Senators who opposed this illegal alien amnesty – now get to work to close off that border!
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Florida to propose Arizona-style immigration enforcement law
Florida to propose Arizona-style immigration enforcement law
“The proposal will almost certainly pass in some form, and that means Obama will have to decide whether to repeat his offensive against Arizona with Floridians as the target. Arizona meant little to Obama in terms of his re-election effort; its small number of Electoral College votes will almost certainly go to the GOP in any case. However, Florida is a much bigger problem. Obama won the state in 2008 on his way to a comfortable EC win over John McCain, but key states in that victory have shifted Republican since, including Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. At this point, Obama can hardly afford to lose Florida, but he cannot attack Arizona while leaving Florida off the hook, either. Obama could try keeping his own mouth shut and letting Eric Holder pursue a case against Florida, but after his PR blitz this year on the Arizona law, no one’s going to buy a hands-off illusion now. If the DoJ continues to sue states while the White House pushes back against a border-security-first approach, Obama will lose what flagging support he still has in a critical state just in time for the presidential election.”
There will be similar immigration “wedge” issues in other southern and midwestern states just in time for the 2012 Presidential elections.
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The DREAM ACT: 2.1 Million Future Democrat Voter Recruitment Drive is Coming to a Vote in the U.S. Senate – Melt the Phones
Seriously, this is an American nightmare.The open-borders progressives’ “DREAM Act” is an electoral nightmare. It’s not just an illegal alien student bailout. It’s a 2.1 million future Democrat voter recruitment drive. The “path to citizenship” dangled by Obama is a superhighway to generations of big government-birthed, identity politics-nursed dependents.
Misguided Republicans have supported illegal alien amnesties dating back to the Reagan era. And they have paid a steep, lasting price. As bankrupt, multiculti-wracked California goes, so goes the nation. The progs’ plan has always been to exploit the massive population of illegal aliens to redraw the political map and secure a permanent ruling majority.Patriots, call these fence-sitting Senators and tell them to VOTE No on the DREAM ACT.
REPUBLICANS:
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN 202-224-2235; 480-897-6289: Staff says he “hasn’t made a public statement” and “hasn’t made up his mind.” He talked a tough border security game to get re-elected, while promising illegal alien activists he would “resolve their issues.” (Refresh your memories here.)
SEN. OLYMPIA SNOWE 202-224-5344; 207-874-0883: Staff says she “hasn’t released a statement.”
SEN. SUSAN COLLINS 202-224-2523; 207-945-0417: Staff says she “hasn’t released a public statement.”
SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI 202-224-6665; 907-271-3735: Staff says she’s “still reviewing the bill.”
DEMOCRATS:
SEN. JIM WEBB OF VIRGINIA 202-224-4024; 703-573-7090. Staff says “he hasn’t made a public statement.”
SEN. KENT CONRAD OF NORTH DAKOTA 202-224-2043; 701-258-4648. Staff says “he hasn’t released a statement.” Conrad has voted against the DREAM Act in the past.
SEN. BYRON DORGAN OF NORTH DAKOTA 202 224-2551. He voted against the DREAM Act in the past. Staff says he “hasn’t taken a public position.”
SEN. MARK PRYOR OF ARKANSAS 202-224-2353; 501-324-6336. He voted no on the DREAM Act cloture vote in September. Staff says he is “likely” to vote no again, though he hasn’t made an official public statement yet.
SEN. JON TESTER OF MONTANA 202 224-2644. Staff says he has voted against the DREAM Act in the past and “he will probably vote against any bill that has amnesty in it.”
SEN. MAX BAUCUS OF MONTANA 202-224-2651. He has opposed the DREAM Act in the past and is a “likely no” again in this session.
SEN. CLAIRE MCCASKILL OF MISSOURI 202-224-6154. She opposed the DREAM Act in the past and staff says she has made no statement changing her position otherwise.
The vote will be coming up after the Thanksgiving recess but call today and call often.
Investors Business Daily pretty much nails the issue in its editorial: Lame-Duck Amnesty
This is an amnesty bill. Under it, illegal aliens who enter this country before the age of 16 and have successfully evaded the law for five years are given conditional green-card status that can later be converted to regular green cards. They are required to complete two years of college or military service.
Then green cards can be acquired for the parents who brought their children here illegally. And once they’ve been granted citizenship, they can bring all their relatives to the U.S. Those who’ve waited patiently, and legally, for their green cards will still have to wait while the open-border parade passes them by.
These are not children who were born here after their parents sneaked past the Border Patrol; the argument there is that birthright citizens shouldn’t be punished for the sins of their parents. No, these are children who were born elsewhere and smuggled in before their 16th birthday.
To reward this illegal behavior would encourage more to come, and there is no shortage of human smugglers in Mexico who would be happy, for a fee, to assist. The smuggled and their families, of course, would be eternally grateful.
“A lot of this is about demographics,” says Sen.-elect Rand Paul, R-Ky. “If you look at immigrants from Mexico, they register 3-to-1 Democrat, so the Democratic Party is for easy citizenship and allowing them to vote.” But what about the people who wait patiently overseas and break no laws to get here? No citizenship for you!
Yeah, California Republicans know all about the demographics.
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The DREAM ACT is Coming Up for a Stand Alone Vote in the U.S.Senate – Melt The Phones
Melt the Phones, Patriots
Nevada U.S. Senator and Democratic Majority Leader is bringing up the Dream Act for a stand alone vote in the current lame duck session of the Senate.According to the Majority Leader’s office, Senator Harry Reid now plans to bring the Dream Act up for a vote as a stand-alone measure after Thanksgiving recess.
UPDATE [8:30 PM EST]: The New York Times’ Caucus blog notes:
During his re-election campaign in Nevada, Mr. Reid said he would try again to pass the legislation, known as the Dream Act. And in a Twitter message on Wednesday evening, his office said he would try to do so in the current session as a stand-alone bill.
Michelle Malkin has a list of squishy Republican Senators who continue to say they have not decided upon the bill. Call them and urge them to vote NO:
I’ve polled Republican Senate offices and you should know that many open-borders squishes remain on the fence about this Obama/Reid down payment on blanket illegal alien amnesty. That’s right. The following GOP Senators haven’t made up their mind on whether they should oppose a bill that amounts to a 2.1 million future Democrat voter recruitment drive. Know your fence-sitters:
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN 202-224-2235; 480-897-6289: Staff says he “hasn’t made a public statement” and “hasn’t made up his mind.” He talked a tough border security game to get re-elected, while promising illegal alien activists he would “resolve their issues.” (Refresh your memories here.)
The others:
- SEN. OLYMPIA SNOWE 202-224-5344; 207-874-0883: Staff says she “hasn’t released a statement.”
- SEN. SUSAN COLLINS 202-224-2523; 207-945-0417: Staff says she “hasn’t released a public statement.”
- SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI 202-224-6665; 907-271-3735: Staff says she’s “still reviewing the bill.”
- SEN. SAM BROWNBACK 202-224-6521; 785-233-2503 Staff says he “hasn’t had a chance to look at it” and remains non-committal.
- SEN. KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON 202-224-5922; 214-361-3500: Staff says she “hasn’t released a statement,” but will probably do so later today.
- SEN. GEORGE LEMIEUX 202-224-3041; 904-398-8586: Recorded message informs callers that he’s “in a meeting.” He has yet to publicly state his position as open-borders extremists step up pressure.
Why is the Dream Act so dangerous – from GOP Senator Jeff Sessions:
Ten Things You Need To Know About S.3827, The DREAM Act
1. The DREAM Act Is NOT Limited to Children, And It Will Be Funded On the Backs Of Hard Working, Law-Abiding Americans
Proponents of the DREAM Act frequently claim the bill offers relief only to illegal alien “kids.” Incredibly, previous versions of the DREAM Act had no age limit at all, so illegal aliens of any age who satisfied the Act’s requirements—not just children—could obtain lawful permanent resident (LPR) status. In response to this criticism, S.3827 includes a requirement that aliens be under the age of 35 on the date of enactment to be eligible for LPR status. Even with this cap, many aliens would be at least 41 years old before obtaining full LPR status under the Act—hardly the “kids” the Act’s advocates keep talking about.
The DREAM Act requires that DHS/USCIS process all DREAM Act applications (applications that would require complex, multi-step adjudication) without being able to increase fees to handle processing. This mandate would require either additional Congressional appropriations, or for USCIS, a primarily fee-funded agency, to raise fees on other types of immigration benefit applications. This would unfairly spread the cost of administering the DREAM Act legalization program among applicants and petitioners who have abided by U.S. laws and force taxpayers to pay for amnesty. Taxpayers would also be on the hook for all Federal benefits the DREAM Act seeks to offer illegal aliens, including student loans and grants.
2. The DREAM Act PROVIDES SAFE HARBOR FOR ANY ALIEN, Including Criminals, From Being Removed or Deported If They Simply Submit An Application
Although DREAM Act proponents claim it will benefit only those who meet certain age, presence, and educational requirements, amazingly the Act protects ANY alien who simply submits an application for status no matter how frivolous. The bill forbids the Secretary of Homeland Security from removing “any alien who has a pending application for conditional status” under the DREAM Act—regardless of age or criminal record—providing a safe harbor for all illegal aliens. This loophole will open the floodgates for applications that could stay pending for many years or be litigated as a delay tactic to prevent the illegal aliens’ removal from the United States. The provision will further erode any chances of ending the rampant illegality and fraud in the existing system.
3. Certain Criminal Aliens Will Be Eligible For Amnesty Under The DREAM ActCertain categories of criminal aliens will be eligible for the DREAM Act amnesty, including alien gang members and aliens with misdemeanor convictions, even DUIs. The DREAM Act allows illegal aliens guilty of the following offenses to be eligible for amnesty: alien absconders (aliens who failed to attend their removal proceedings), aliens who have engaged in voter fraud or unlawfully voted, aliens who have falsely claimed U.S. citizenship, aliens who have abused their student visas, and aliens who have committed marriage fraud. Additionally, illegal aliens who pose a public health risk, aliens who have been permanently barred from obtaining U.S. citizenship, and aliens who are likely to become a public charge are also eligible.
4. Estimates Suggest That At Least 2.1 Million Illegal Aliens Will Be Eligible For the DREAM Act Amnesty. In Reality, We Have No Idea How Many Illegal Aliens Will Apply
Section 4(d) of the DREAM Act waives all numerical limitations on green cards, and prohibits any numerical limitation on the number of aliens eligible for amnesty under its provisions. The Migration Policy Institute estimates that the DREAM Act will make approximately 2.1 million illegal aliens eligible for amnesty. It is highly likely that the number of illegal aliens receiving amnesty under the DREAM Act will be much higher than the estimated 2.1 million due to fraud and our inherent inability to accurately estimate the illegal alien population. Clearly, the message sent by the DREAM Act will be that if any young person can enter the country illegally, within 5 years, they will be placed on a path to citizenship.
5. Illegal Aliens Will Get In-State Tuition Benefits
The DREAM Act will allow illegal aliens to qualify for in-state tuition, even when it is not being offered to U.S. citizens and legally present aliens living just across state lines. Section 3 of the DREAM Act repeals Section 505 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1623) which prohibits giving education benefits to an unlawfully present individual unless that same benefit is offered to all U.S. citizens.
6. The DREAM Act Does Not Require That An Illegal Alien Finish Any Type of Degree (Vocational, Two-Year, or Bachelor’s Degree) As A Condition of Amnesty
DREAM Act supporters would have you believe that the bill is intended to benefit illegal immigrants who have graduated from high school and are on their way to earning college degrees. However, the bill is careful to ensure that illegal alien high school drop-outs will also be put on a pathway to citizenship – they simply have to get a GED and be admitted to “an institution of higher education,” defined by the Higher Education Act of 1965.
Under the Higher Education Act, an “institution of higher education” includes institutions that provide 2-year programs (community colleges) and any “school that provides not less than a 1-year program of training to prepare students for gainful employment” (a vocational school). Within 8 years of the initial grant of status, the alien must prove only that they finished 2 years of a bachelor’s degree program, not that they completed any program or earned any degree.
If the alien is unable to complete 2 years of college but can demonstrate that their removal would result in hardship to themselves or their U.S. citizen or LPR spouse, child, or parent, the education requirement can be waived altogether.
7. The DREAM Act does not require that an illegal alien serve in the military as a condition for amnesty, and There is ALREADY A Legal Process In Place For Illegal Aliens to Obtain U.S. Citizenship Through Military ServiceDREAM Act supporters would have you believe that illegal aliens who don’t go to college will earn their citizenship through service in the U.S. Armed Forces. However, the bill does not require aliens to join the U.S. Armed Forces (the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard); instead it requires enlistment in the “uniformed services.” This means that aliens need only go to work for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or Public Health Service for 2 years to get U.S. citizenship. If the alien is unable to complete 2 years in the “uniformed services,” and can demonstrate that their removal would result in hardship to themselves or their U.S. citizen or LPR spouse, child, or parent, the military service requirement can be waived altogether. Such claims will likely engender much litigation and place a huge burden on DHS.
Furthermore, under current law (10 USC § 504), the Secretary of Defense can authorize the enlistment of illegal aliens. Once enlisted in the U.S. Armed Forces, under 8 USC § 1440, these illegal aliens can become naturalized citizens through expedited processing, often obtaining U.S. citizenship in six months.
8. Despite Their Current Illegal Status, DREAM Act Aliens Will Be Given All The Rights That Legal Immigrants Receive—Including The Legal Right To Sponsor Their Parents and Extended Family Members For Immigration
Under current federal law, U.S. citizens have the right to immigrate their “immediate relatives” to the U.S. without regard to numerical caps. Similarly, lawful permanent residents can immigrate their spouses and children to the U.S. as long as they retain their status. This means illegal aliens who receive amnesty under the DREAM Act will have the right to immigrate their family members—including the parents who sent for or brought them to the U.S. illegally in the first place—in unlimited numbers as soon as they become U.S. citizens (6 to 8 years after enactment) and are 21 years of age.
Additionally, amnestied aliens who become U.S. citizens will be able to petition for their adult siblings living abroad to immigrate to the U.S., further incentivizing chain migration and potentially illegal entry into the United States (for those who don’t want to wait for the petition process overseas). When an adult brother or sister receives a green card, the family (spouse and children) of the adult sibling receive green cards as well.
9. Current Illegal Aliens Will Get Federal Student Loans, Federal Work Study Programs, and Other Forms of Federal Financial Aid
Section 10 of the DREAM Act allows illegal aliens amnestied under the bill’s provisions to qualify for federal student assistance under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.) in the form of federal student loans (Stafford Loans, Perkins Loans, Federal Direct Stafford/Ford Loans), federal work-study programs, and other federal education services such as tutoring and counseling.
10. DHS Is Prohibited From Using the Information Provided By Illegal Aliens Whose DREAM Act Amnesty Applications Are Denied To Initiate Their Removal Proceedings or Investigate or Prosecute Fraud in the Application Process
When an illegal alien’s DREAM Act amnesty application is denied, the bill states that the alien will revert to their “previous immigration status,” which is likely illegal or deportable. The bill, however, prohibits using any of the information contained in the amnesty application (name, address, length of illegal presence that the alien admits to, etc) to initiate a removal proceeding or investigate or prosecute fraud in the application process. Thus, it will be extremely hard for DHS to remove aliens who they now know are illegally present in the U.S., because illegal aliens will be able to claim that the legal action is a product of the amnesty application, and DHS will have the nearly impossible task of proving a negative.
Let your voice be heard – No on the Dream Act.
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AZ-Sen: Think John McCain is Against Illegal Immigration Amnesty?
Undocumented(illegal alien)students speak to Arizona Senator John McCainIf anyone thinks now that John McCain has beat back a challenge by a Republican challenger in an Arizona GOP Primary election is not for illegal immigrant amnesty, I think they have another thing coming.
Watch the video above and see the REAL John McCain.
Think McCain will vote to filibuster the Dream Act when Harry Reid brings it to the Senate next week?
Nope.
I think the next group of GOP Senators that will be targeted by Tea Party activists for GOP Primary defeats will be those who support the Dream Act.
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Day by Day July 31, 2010 – Busting Down Doors
Day By Day by Chris MuirAnd, Chris what do you think of the Obama Administration planning to grant amnesty to illegal aliens while bypassing Congress?Republicans are seizing on an internal memo they say is further evidence the Obama administration wants to bypass a gridlocked Congress and use its executive powers to grant “back-door amnesty” to thousands of illegal immigrants.
But administration officials tried to downplay the significance of the draft memo Friday, reiterating that they have no plans to grant permanent residency to the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants living in the U.S.
Written by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officials to the agency’s director, the memo discusses ways the administration – facing the reality that immigration reform is all but dead this year – could grant illegal immigrants permanent status, including indefinitely delaying deportation or issuing green cards.
“This memorandum offers administrative relief options to promote family unity, foster economic growth, achieve significant process improvements and reduce the threat of removal for certain individuals present in the United States without authorization,” states the memo, which was addressed to Director Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “In the absence of comprehensive immigration reform, USCIS can extend benefits and/or protections to many individuals and groups by issuing new guidance and regulations.”
The 11-page memo provides fresh ammunition to Republican lawmakers who have been questioning the administration for the past month about rumors of a plan allowing illegal immigrants to remain in the country.
“The document provides an additional basis for our concerns that the administration will go to great lengths to circumvent Congress and unilaterally execute a back-door amnesty plan,” Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, the top Republican on the Finance Committee, said in a statement.
Of course, there will be a huge uproar and a court challenge, but American voters see the direction. No securing of the borders from Obama, as he panders to Hispanic voters in the Southwest.
Plus Ca Change
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