Posted on 07/18/2005 1:14:30 PM PDT by Graybeard58
PHILADELPHIA -- Supporters of a proposed law that would benefit people who arrived in the United States illegally as children said Sunday that it would help more immigrants go on to get college degrees and contribute more to society.
During a rally held as part of the annual convention of a national Hispanic civil-rights group, people spoke out in support of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act. The proposal, known as the DREAM Act, would give undocumented youth the chance to become legal U.S. residents and possibly help them get in-state college tuition.
"We are not asking for any special treatment. We are only asking for the same right to go on and complete a higher education," Blanca Cabrera said during the rally at the convention of the National Council of La Raza. Cabrera was selected as a National Merit Scholar at her high school in Salem, Ore.
The proposal has failed in Congress in two previous sessions and has not been introduced in the current session. It would provide a conditional six-year legal status for immigrants who arrived before the age of 16.
Critics of the act say it would reward illegal behavior.
"An amnesty rewards illegal immigrants and sends the message to future illegal immigrants that they can sneak in, keep their heads down long enough and eventually get green cards," Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, said when the act was pending in Congress in 2003.
To qualify, the immigrants must have gotten high school diplomas or GEDs in the United States and be of good moral character. Those who have completed two years of college or served two years in the U.S. armed forces by the end of that six-year period would qualify as lawful permanent residents of the United States.
Supporters, however, say it is unfair to hold children responsible for their parents' decisions to immigrate illegally. Speaking later Sunday at another convention event, Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., cited a young woman who had arrived from Haiti as an infant and was locked up by immigration officials shortly after finishing high school. Dodd said she faced deportation even though she had college scholarships available in the United States and knew nothing about how to get by in her native land, not even the language.
"I just, in good conscience, could not see this young woman get deported," Dodd said. He said he got Congress to pass a bill specifically allowing that woman to stay in the United States, and has co-sponsored the DREAM Act because there are many more young people who deserve a similar opportunity.
Supporters at Sunday's rally also said passing the act would benefit the nation as a whole because it would help ambitious young people get higher education and contribute more to the economy.
"The overall economic benefit to our cities, states and nation would be dramatic," said Regan Cooper of the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition.
Yes, you are.
You are asking to be rewarded for your parents' criminal entry into the country.
Just more extortion upon the American people, from illegals trying to get away with as much as our illegal-loving government will give them.
Thank You Washington, DC for starting all of this, and apparently not going to finish it.
"We are not asking for any special treatment.
If you are not asking for special treatment, then why are you advocating a law that is very narrowly tailored to benefit one specific group?
The usual libs will be along soon to tell us why.
Amen. Succinctly put.
I feel for these kids that are raised in the American culture most of their lives and identify as Americans. There was an article in the local (liberal) weekly news rag about a local kid. Pablo is a straight A student, is well liked, is a member of the high-school ROTC program, he is unsure if he will be able to go to college because of his illegal status. He is also not able to get in-state tution even though his father has been paying State taxes since he was a kid. It's a sad story
http://www.westword.com/issues/2004-12-02/news/feature.html
It's too bad his parents came here illegally and my heart goes out to this gifted kid but not sure giving them a free pass is the way to go either........
the media loves to drag out these heart-breaking stories of straight A students. They don't tell you about the violent gang members who would also be legalized under these idiotic laws.
Mark Krikorian is absolutely correct.
The President's mention of his ill-advised "guestworker program" (amnesty) started a stampede north. Why should America be forced to pay for foreigners who don't respect our laws enough to apply legally for citizenship?
I feel for these kids that are raised in the American culture most of their lives and identify as Americans. There was an article in the local (liberal) weekly news rag about a local kid. Pablo is a straight A student, is well liked, is a member of the high-school ROTC program, he is unsure if he will be able to go to college because of his illegal status. He is also not able to get in-state tution even though his father has been paying State taxes since he was a kid. It's a sad story
http://www.westword.com/issues/2004-12-02/news/feature.html
It's too bad his parents came here illegally and my heart goes out to this gifted kid but not sure giving them a free pass is the way to go either........
Too bad we can't do a trade like in baseball. Keep the kid and give him Petah Jennings' legal alien status. Deport Petah and the illegal parents to the 3rd world country.
When are they going to asking, strike that, demanding reparations because we treated then the same as any other bunch of criminals?
Protect our borders and coastlines from all foreign invaders!
Be Ever Vigilant!
Minutemen Patriots ~ Bump!
They're arguing in a sense that it's "for the children."
We must argue back, what about the other children, those who were born here legally. They are favoring one set of children over another and punishing one set of children unfairly.
Sorry to sound crude but maybe Pablo should go back to Mexico and change the situation there if he is so gifted (And the family should try the proper means to immigrate).
That's a good suggestion, only a couple problems though. Pablo has no memory of Mexico, his entire concious experience has been here in the US. Pablo wants to stay here and become a doctor and an American. I agree that illegal immigration needs to be stopped, but I also have empathy for some of these kids who are/will be an asset to the USA.
Imagine the boon to Mexico if we sent back all of the kids and their illegal parents. Mexico would benefit from an influx of well educated citizens (on our nickle, but I wouldn't even charge them for it). Plus, these kids, raised in the US might actually want to better their country by kicking the corrupt politicians who have made life so difficult that people are dying to get out, out on their keesters....
susie
His parents had no memory of the US when they came here. They seem to have managed. I suspect Mexico needs doctors too.
susie
His parents had no memory of America and their entire conscious experience was in Mexico. If he is gifted he will get by.
They are now an integral part of the future of America whether the Antis like it or not. We already have labor shortages in certain sectors and a recent study estimates that we will have a 10 million labor shortage by 2020.
The states that train and educate their immigrant children to be valuable members of the workforce will prosper while those that intentionally try to suppress their talents and abilities will only be punishing their own native children when their employers relocate to other states.
I was raised to believe that if a man has an account to settle with another man that he should settle it with that man, not attack the man's children. Even the most vile, immature, Bush-hating Democrats honored the rule that you don't attack a candidate's children.
But the Antis have no honor, no compassion, no principles and no maturity. They are driven by the most insidious of human motives.
You forgot to post the photo of the wall, Psycho-Pants.
OK, you guys have me convinced. My first thought after reading the article was "that's true, this poor child has no idea what Mexico was like and was brought here not of his own free will" but now I too agree Mexico would benefit from a smart, industrious person like himself. He has more to offer Mexico than America.
If at some point he decides to come to America, he can do so legally and not have to worry about being deported. He can come as a student as well, I'm guessing it's actually easier to come as a foreign exchange student as even my area has many of those.
All in all, I would hope he stays in Mexico, his country needs more like him.
I agree. There should be PRIVATE scholarships for kids like Pablo.
Hope you don't mind...
You are greedy and do not care about these people and their nation so please do not speak to the rest of us about honor and compassion. If you had any compassion you would do what you can to help these people have a wonderful nation like ours and not have to leave their homes and families as slave laborers. You are driven by greed, not compassion.
How about government getting out of the education business altogether?
So, by your reasoning if a middle-class guy gets ocnvicted of a crime, loses his job, his pension, his house, everything that somehow the children must have special dispensation so they keep the standard of living?
The bottom line: If this legislation goes through it is a call to all illegals EVERYWHERE to get their butts here and bring their kids. The kids = Free entry into USA for everyone.
We have no labor shorage. Your "sky is falling" aregument has been repudiated so many times it is unbeleivable.
The only reason they have anything to do with us is that there is no political will to enforce rhe law.
You encourage lawbreaking, but I have come to expect that from you.
ps: Hey, thanks for helping shut down the hospital around the corner, which was DIRECTLY a result of illegals using it and not paying. You and your ilk are to the real war we are having against the illegal invasion as the Democrats are in the war in Iraq. You provide aid and comfort to the enemy.
That's the thinking of communists who feel that all capitalists are evil greedy exploiters of the working class.
You've obviously never had to go to a bank and ask for a loan to make payroll.
You've obviously never made personal sacrifices and done without in order to keep from having to lay off people whose families you know from at the company picnics or whose weddings you've attended.
I don't don't know what your problem is with undocumented workers but I seriously doubt that it's something most of us would be proud of.
This says it all.
Won't happen overnight.
We don't deny the children of convicted felons the same right to an education that the children of other people have.
.
"ps: Hey, thanks for helping shut down the hospital around the corner, which was DIRECTLY a result of illegals using it and not paying"
Give me the name and address of that hospital and I can probably discover the real reason it shut down, such as new competition or declining population or being sold to another national hospital corporation as part of a multi-unit purchase, corporate merger, etc...
Specious reasoning. We deny the children of felons the SAME education they had before. No one is denying these kids education -- they just need to get it in ther home countries.
Give me the name and address of that hospital and I can probably discover the real reason it shut down,
Give a traitor like you personal info? Not on your life. I was here, I read the news, I saw where they published what happened. You are daft or daffy if you continue to think that hospitals are closing for any reason other than the fact that people are using it and not paying. These people are mostly illegal aliens. I have no idea where you live, but I can tell YOU don't have an illegal alien problem where you live (Seattle? Pittsburgh? Saly Lake City?)
Either that or you have your glasses set to "ignore."
Standard Leftist BS. If someone is against ILLEGAL aliens, they must be the R-word.
Your complete inability to reason betrays you again.
You're gonna just love this article.
Chicago-area immigrants settle lawsuit with Homeland SecurityGutierrez, 33, is one of about 5,000 Chicago-area [ILLEGAL] immigrants affected by a recent class action settlement with the Department of Homeland Security that makes them eligible for a $1,000 reimbursement. The settlement also allows illegal immigrants to ask that the federal government stop trying to deport them.
snip
Spouting some more statistics that you are not ready to back up? I'm still waiting for your answer to yesterdays question. You know the one? Want me to quote it for you? I saved the whole thing if you do.
You are just not to be believed about anything as far as I am concerned.
You have my sympathy, you are trying to make a living for yourself and others. However, I have to say I would not sell out America for personal gain. I would work at McDonald's if I had to.
And yes, I have had to do without, I've had to take my $2 worth of pennies to the bank because I had no money in my account. My area has little/no illegals, yet it prospers. The times I've had to do without are rare and short lived. I still have a job and there are many people here where I live who need jobs. Good, strong, young American men who will ultimately have families to support. We Americans expect too much, cable, nice cars, nice stereo equipment, and we'll sell our souls to get them.
There's a difference betweeen being against something and being frothing at the mouth hysterical.
You don't see the emotional outburst by people who have positions on other issues that you do by the Antis.
Why do you think that's so?
June 24, 2005
snip
Born in Mexico, Blanca Cabrera and Bernardo Molina met in the small farming community of Coachella in the California desert. Never married, but together for five years, they were already the parents of two healthy daughters when they learned Blanca was pregnant again.
snip
Blanca was having twins, but the babies were conjoined. They would be born connected at the head.
Despite the risks, Blanca wanted to continue the pregnancy and in July 2004, two months premature, Crystal and Cristina Molina arrived -- in one piece.
Uh....yeah we do. JMO.
Nice double negative there. Typo, or Freudian slip?
You need to go back to business school and revise your strategic plan, hire a consultant, or try another business. Hiring illegals is not the answer to your business problems.
Whining about your lack of business skills, will get you no sympathy here.
Really? I'm an U.S. CITIZEN who been in the U.S.A. since a child too. If I sneak into Oregon illegally, can I earn my master's degree at the University of Oregon on the "in-state" tuition rate? Pretty please.
I have never hired an illegal. I've made that plain many times and it is spelled out on my profile page.
Would your family be proud of the way you make such irresponsible accusations? Did your parents teach you to do that? Are you teaching your children to do that?
Since you claim not to even know "what an illegal looks like," how would you know for sure? (Hint: "undocumented" workers usually have plenty of documents.)
Back at ya pal.
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