Locally, there is still a great deal of rattle about the DREAM Act's failure to pass in Senate, and what the movement's next move should be. In particular, a great deal of online communities have been trying to strategize how to continue pressuring legislators and keep the DREAM Act fresh in their minds.
However, the harsh reality is that leaving the DREAM Act as is would make it highly unlikely to be seen again for a vote anytime soon. That being said, an immigration bill that puts aside demographic pinpointing and votegrabbing and takes a pragmatic approach is more likely to be able to garner support from both sides of the aisle. Just an example, I've written a sample of what a pragmatic, nonsensationalized DREAM Act would look like - I do not necessarily like the requirements or think they are the ones which would gain the most public support, but I do think that the changes would help the DREAM Act pass.
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Military Provision
- Change the requirement from two years to somewhere from four to six years to more accurately reflect the length of the contract which most will receive for enlisting. Otherwise, the same requirements and use as an avenue to citizenship.
Educational Provision
- Provide qualified students F-1 student visas until graduation from their educational program of choice. This would allow for DREAM students to qualify for some sorts of federal aid without competing for the same exact pool of resources as citizens.
- Restrict the above provision of the bill only to minors as stated in the name (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors), or, at the most, to current undergraduate students.
- Upon completion/graduation, either convert F-1 visa to a temporary working visa, or in the case where the graduate finds a willing employer, begin the process of obtaining an Employment-Based green card. This provision could also be extended to those who have "aged out" of the educational provision if visas are available. Below, see the different categories of Employment-Based visas:
- (EB-1) Priority Workers include person of extraordinary ability such as internationally recognized athletes or artists, professors and researchers, and executives.
- (EB-2) Persons with Advanced Degrees or Ecxeptional Ability includes physicians who are hired to practcie in impacted areas, persons of exceptionakl ability not widely enough recognized to receive EB-1 visas, and other advanced degree professionals.
- (EB-3) Skilled or Professional Workers will most likely make up the bulk of applicants, including bachelors degree-holders and skilled workers with at least two years of training in their field.
- (EB-4) Special Immigrants include religious workers, government employees, and translators with the Armed Forces.
- (EB-5) Investors and entrepreneurs with the funds to create at least ten new jobs in the United States
General Provisions
- Tax credit for employers who hire DREAM graduates as employees-------
The advantages of the above laid out plan are that education and military service can still be used as a means of attaining citizenship without flouting the immigration process entirely, and students are still able to receive some types of federal aid. Also, it does away with the wishy-washy DREAM Act provision of oly needing to complete two vague years of postsecondary education, and instead de facto requires students to complete a program study (either a technical certificate, associates degree, or bachelor's degree) which will qualify them to receive employment-based green cards.
Also, because there are limitations of students visas and green cards, this will dispel the reference to the DREAM Act as an amnesty.
It is understandable that immigrant groups feel that they have waited long enough to receive legal status in this country, but it is the sad truth of the times we live in that if groups don't recognize the conditions of the current political climate, they will most likely be forced to wait even longer.
1 comment:
Secure the border before any kind of dream act is considered! You dreamers have been waiting for citizenship, well we been waiting for our borders to be secured for much longer!
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