Posted on 03/14/2018 4:36:43 AM PDT by asinclair
Much hay has been made over DACA by the Democrats: how Trump is heartless; how Congress absolutely positively must pass legislation extending DACA; not to mention how Congress must reform immigration generally. If someone doesn't reinstate DACA, so say the activists, all those children could be deported, in time. Their DREAM of becoming naturalized citizens will die. Immigration reform, the whole package, is stalled in gridlock, so the clock is against them. (Even as the Federal Courts have temporarily put up a blockade against completely terminating the DACA program
I see another answer, one that doesn't open the floodgates. It's a matter of making a two-word modification to the naturalization laws.
There are those (and some of you are here on Free Republic) who think that expelling children who grew up here from infancy, who were educated in US schools, and who have jobs, is a Good ThingTM. I disagree: when the children were brought into this country by their parents, the parents were being the bad actors. Why blame the kids? In other contexts, many of you here feel that the sins of the parents should not be visited on the children. Once you accept that axiom in this case, it follows we should not forcibly deport children to an environment they don't know, they can't handle, and where they would be at risk through no fault of their own.
Point: we the taxpayers, with or without our approval, have made an investment in these DACA people. It would be nice to be able to see a return on that investment HERE, not in another country.
Point: The people who registered with DACA proved their desire to "get right" with the law. The registrants came out in the open willingly. (Or they took advantage of The System to infiltrate -- more on that later.) The United States is a country based on law, but the US also is strong on equity. The two need to balance.
If you look at the complete process of becoming a naturalized citizen, all the requirements and conditions can be done relatively quickly, except one. It's not instant, but you are talking weeks and months, not years. Remove the block, and the registered DACA applicants can be processed and become citizens.
What is the exception? The prospective citizen must have a green card for at least five years before they can file Form N-400. (https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/educators/naturalization-information) This is the stumbling block.
Obama's Executive Order on DACA may be on arguably questionable legal ground, but the Federal Courts have told the Executive that renewal DACA applications must be processed, even after the 5 March 2018 deadline. That ruling gives DACA some legitimacy. That Court-recognized legitimacy provides Congress a simple way to open a path for DACA registrants to submit that all-important Form N-400.
"Be a permanent resident (have a “Green Card”) for at least 5 years." -- change to: "Be a permanent resident (have a “Green Card” or equivalent) for at least 5 years." One of the equivalent documents would be a valid up-to-date DACA registration.
For those people eligible originally for DACA but who didn't register, for whatever reason, they wouldn't have that exception available to them. It was their choice. If I understand the current state of things, the Executive can block initial applications for DACA; the Court ruling is only for renewals.
"But what about MS13 and terrorists -- aren't you opening the door?" Good question. The answer is "no", based on the rest of the requirements. Here is a summary:
Make this relatively simple two-word change, and DACA no longer is an issue, because existing DACA recipients can get on the path NOW to citizenship. Note this is not a "gimme", they have to work for the privilege of becoming a citizen. As for other illegal immigrants, they need to turn to Congress for relief. That's how you avoid having three million new citizens in one go without them working for it.
This is NOT the type of amnesty Reagan singed 6 Nov 1986. This is a fair and impartial way to allow the kids who are trying to follow the law to do so.
Another day, another desperate amnestybot screed.
They registered in the hopes of getting amnesty and to keep the checks coming.
True.
NO AMNESTY!!! As DACA expires, they go home!!! Aside from the media and Democratic leadership, no one ones these illegal aliens here. The sooner they go home, the sooner their unwitting criminal behavior ends. DEPORT THEIR FAMIILES NOW!!!
I'm fine with seeing a return on that investment in their HOME country. If that country improves, perhaps it will convince others from illegal entry into the US.
I can ‘fix’ DACA w/ 3 words:
Rule of Law
DACA ain’t it. Illegals aliens ain’t it.
Truth!
Good point, I agree with you. A fair solution and one I would be happy with as long as all the rest were deported for visa violations immediately like every other country in the world.
Those without visas should be punished with a criminal record that would bar them from getting a visa in the future. Those who are found in the country again should be sentenced to 6 months hard labor before deportation again. Building the wall.
I’m sorry Mr Asinclair, but your idea is STUPID. What it says is that if you can hide out in the country for 5 years you can be a citizen.
I feel for people who for no fault of their own BROKE THE LAW. The answer is not to forgive the breaking of the law but to make restitution. When you forgive LAW BREAKING you only encourage more of it. Perhaps having a green card would be one way to make that restitution after paying a substantial fine. Then if you have a job, if you have paid your taxes during the time you had a green card, if you didn’t commit any crimes, if you learned to speak English, if you can pass a citizenship test then perhaps you would be eligible to apply for citizenship after having your green card for 5 years.
Amnesty is NOT the answer, we tried that now we have millions of illegals here.
Bharf.
I have one word: DEPORT.
No. Better to deport them all. No exceptions. It’s not about “equity”; it’s about justice and the rule of law. We cannot afford to reward criminals, since that only encourages more crime, and giving their children citizenship is a huge reward!
Continuous residence in the US for 5 years
Physically present in US for 30 months out of 60
Continuous residence in the US for 10 years (Stops all the “Obama wave illegals”).
Physically present in the US for 120 months out of 120 months (want permanent residents, not those who came in under Obama, and no moving back and forth over the border...also includes those who were deported and came back in a second time illegally).
Parents, who brought them in illegally should be deported. The responsibility for the decision as to whether the kids to go home with them, will rest with the parents.
Any idea of future citizenship should be predicated on them signing up, and getting in line behind all those who have been waiting years for approval to enter the US.
End the illegal DACA program
Restore the rule of law
Remove ALL illegal aliens
How about “A dreamer can permanent status for 10 illegals they personally help deport (either report to ICE resulting in deportation or show up to the border with them as they self-deport)”. We can give dreamers “deport 10 - get to stay” cards. 1 million dreamers get permanent status if 10 million illegals are deported.
If we can’t get dreamers to help directly, the “solution” should require Dems/liberals to assist in deportation of non-dreamers in order to get legal status for dreamers. The same “10 illegals go BEFORE each 1 dreamer gets to stay” rule. And each new illegal that enters is counted against the total so any Dem/liberal who really cares about dreamers will build the wall.
And, after 10 straight years of more deportations than entries, we can start a path to citizenship for the dreamers.
I sincerely suggest this author take a rip to So Calif & try to drive or walk round in the immigrant infested streets & businesses there.
Take a couple or 3 days & then tell me how much this bunch of kids can do to help the USA.
There are plenty of pics of these ‘youths’ grabbing their crotches, and giving the finger to anyone around them. They prowl in packs like wolves & like the wolves, do not belong where they have been ‘reintroduced’. They have an attitude of complete entitlement and think that working taxpaying Americans should uspport them.
I really don’t give a rat’s behind how ‘bad things are’ in their country of origin.
I didn’t create that mess. It is up to those who belong to that country to fix their own mess. It certainly isn’t fair to bring that mess here & contaminate this country.
Then, after spend a few days in So Calif. go to SF and stroll around there. Have a long talk with Kate Steinle’s father. That might give you another perspective on the contamination of the illegal invaders. If this author has any ability with math, have them try to calculate how this country can continue to keep taxing the “makers’ to keep giving it all to ‘the takers’, especially the illegal invaders.
What it says is that if you can hide out in the country for 5 years you can be a citizen.””
This is another version of ‘squatter’s rights’. IF a squatter can get inside a home they DO NOT OWN & stay there long enough, it can take months & sometimes years before the true owner can get the squatter removed. Some home owners in So Cal, who were hit by the recession had their homes for sale, only to find out squatters had taken over the homes. They damaged one home with over $250,000 or repairs, and it took months for the squatter to be removed. I don’t think they even faced repayment for the damages.
Fake Intelligence Alert!
TOUGH NOOGIES.
First, I was against the Reagen amnesty action signed in 1986. At the time, I believed -- as did a number of critics – that such an action would NOT be a one-time thing. I'm looking at the politics we face today. Democrats are going to be whipping conservatives (a proper subset of Republicans) with the state of DACA.
My goal is to eliminate DACA as a talking point during the campaigns, and thus limit the damage that DACA could do in "image" campaigns, because the action would eliminate that particular image. DACA acts as a filter for less undesirable people -- we can use that.
I admire, and share in, your adherance to principles. You can stand firm...and watch the Democrats take over the House.
Is that what you want?
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