Apparently Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has his own version of the DREAM Act and CNS News inquires whether presidential candidate Mitt Romney would support Rubio's proposed plan. Romney has previously said he would veto the Democrat DREAM Act.
Although he has not released specific legislative language detailing his modified DREAM Act, Rubio’s proposal would let some people currently residing in the U.S. obtain a special visa that allows them to remain in the country while applying for legal residency status. Legal residency status would not prevent immigrants from attaining citizenship, but it does not provide a direct pathway to it, either.
The current DREAM Act, the one that the Democrats have proposed, creates a fourth pathway to citizenship in addition to the existing pathways, Burgos told CNSNews.com.
In an April 3 interview with the Tampa Bay Times, Sen. Rubio said about his plan, "There is nothing that prohibits them from getting citizenship. We just don't create a new pathway. The bottom line is, they would have a visa of some sort and they – like any other visa holder in this country -- can get in line and apply for residency. You have to wait in line, but you get to wait in line in the U.S. legally. They would be here living, studying, working, while they're waiting in line.”
How is the Rubio DREAM Act different from the Democrat DREAM Act???
As proposed by Sen. Durbin and other Democrats, the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act would grant conditional permanent resident status for a period of six years to those who came into the United States illegally before the age of 16. After the six-year period, those eligible would be able to attain legal permanent status if they get an associate-level academic degree or serve in the U.S. military for two years. As legal permanent residents, they would then have an automatic pathway to citizenship.
If the reporting from CNS is correct, I'm not seeing a lot of difference in the two proposed DREAM Acts.
Dubin and Rubio are not the only politicians working on a DREAM Act:
On March 27, The Hill reported that Texas Republican Sens. Jon Kyl and Kay Bailey Hutchison “are also working on a bill, although its details are being kept secret, according to congressional sources. Senate sources expect it to be unveiled after GOP front-runner Mitt Romney has clinched the presidential nomination.” (CNS)
Romney spokesman Alex Burgos says “I think there’s been a lot of openness on all sides to work on Sen. Rubio’s ideas". However:
...in an April 18 op-ed in The Washington Post, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who says he's advised Romney on immigration, is quoted as saying, "I haven’t seen the details of Senator Rubio’s plan, but if it involves the giving of lawful status to illegal aliens en masse then it is unacceptable." He later added, "A path to legal status for someone who is here illegally is amnesty by definition. It gives the alien what he has stolen.”
When asked about Romney possibly supporting Rubio's approach, Kobach said, “I don’t think so...I expect him to hold firm on his opposition to amnesty.”
We will see.
Well, you already know my opinion on illegals. I believe they should all be deported and no automatic citizenship for their children, but that's my stance.
Americans are desperate for jobs and they should come first.
It's time to get tough on immigration.
Posted by: Leticia | May 04, 2012 at 11:44 PM