Harry Reid Files for Cloture on DREAM Act

[peejay 327]

peejay sez: This could be voted on as early as today or tomorrow the 24th. Call, FAX, or e-mail your US senators to stop this insanity. It rewards illegal aliens and will clog an already overburdened immigration system.

Harry Reid Files for Cloture on DREAM Act

America: once again, it’s time for us to act.

According to NumbersUSA, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has filed for cloture on S.2205 – Senator ####### Durbin’s stand-alone DREAM Act – which could bring it to a vote either today or tomorrow.

Cloture is the only way for a time limit to be put upon consideration of a bill. It effectively shuts down any further debate and forces the senate to vote, although thirty hours of debate after cloture is invoked is permissible under strict rules.

More on the DREAM Act from NumbersUSA:

S. 2205, which is cosponsored by long-tenured Republicans Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) and ####### Lugar (R-Ind.), is, essentially, the same amnesty offered up for consideration by Durbin as an amendment (SA 2919) to H.R. 1585, the Defense Department (DoD) authorization bill for fiscal year 2008. The Senate passed that bill October 1 without ever taking up the DREAM Act amendment or amendments concerning increased worker importation. At that time, Leader Reid announced he would push for passage of the DREAM Act before the Senate is scheduled to adjourn for the year (i.e., on or about November 16).

In this most recent iteration, the DREAM Act authorizes DHS to cancel removal for, or adjust to lawful permanent resident status (in other words, grant amnesty to), an alien who is inadmissible or deportable in cases where the alien demonstrated that he/she:

-has maintained continuous presence in the United States for five years and was not yet 16 years old upon initial entry, but is no older than 30 years of age;

-is of "good moral character" and is not inadmissible or deportable on certain criminal grounds or on the basis of being a risk to national security; and

-has been admitted to an institution of higher education, has attained a high school diploma, or has obtained a GED in the United States.

This ill-conceived proposal, which would grant amnesty to illegal aliens who satisfy these criteria as of enactment, also would be a rolling amnesty drawing more illegal aliens here in the future to apply for amnesty.

More recent versions of the nightmarish DREAM Act have made two notable changes from earlier attempts: (1) a provision repealing existing statutory provisions barring illegal aliens from being eligible for in-state tuition unless a U.S. citizen or legal resident is eligible regardless of state residence has been removed; and (2) the age limit for amnesty applicants has been added.

This latter revision would narrow, but would not close, a gaping loophole in this amnesty because any illegal alien up to age 30 can still walk into any U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office, declare that he is eligible, and be granted amnesty with minimal documentation of eligibility. That 30-year-old could claim that he illegally entered the United States when he was 15, but there is no requirement that the alien prove that he entered the United States at the claimed time by providing particular documents. The proposal would merely require him to "demonstrate" that he is eligible, which in practice could mean simply making a sworn statement to that effect. Thus, it would be an invitation for just about every illegal alien 30 and under to fraudulently claim the amnesty.

In addition, the alien then would have six years to adjust his status from a conditional green card holder to a non-conditional one. To do so, he would need only to complete two years of study at an institution of higher education, including any vocational school. If, at that point, the alien had already completed two years of study, he could adjust to non-conditional status immediately (and use his green card as a platform to sponsor parents and other family members). As an alternative to two years of study, he could enlist in the U.S. military (or any other of the "uniformed services," such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or Public Health Service) for two years. (Note: This was the provision that allowed Durbin to claim that the DREAM Act was somehow germane to the DoD authorization bill.)

An illegal alien who applies for this nightmare of an amnesty would be allowed to count his years under "conditional" green card status toward the five years needed for citizenship. On top of that, the illegal alien could claim "retroactive benefits" and start the clock running the day that the DREAM Act is enacted. In combination, these two provisions would put illegal aliens on a high-speed track to U.S. citizenship, moving from illegal alien to U.S. citizen in as little as five years. Lawfully-present aliens, meanwhile, would have to continue to follow a slower path to citizenship.

Americans made their wishes about amnesty for illegal aliens more than clear this past summer. Unfortunately, the leaders we elected have a habit of ignoring the will of the people they represent. We voted them into office: not the illegal aliens they seek to appease with handouts.

If the DREAM Act goes through, it’s only a matter of time before the next amnesty bill is proposed. Once again, Americans need to remind those who live in the Washington bubble that rewarding illegal immigration is not acceptable.

The time to act is now by calling the Senate switchboard at 202-224-3121. If you prefer, you can find the home office number of your senator or representative to call. Whichever number you call, you must do it today.

http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/homeland.php?id=1385084

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Nightmare on Main Street, USA: DREAM Act is Baaaack!

The DREAM Act, cherished by supporters of illegal aliens, and once thought to be killed, is at least on life support. Those millions of people who told their legislators they did not want amnesty, no way, no how, had reason to think that the DREAM Act, which was included in the "comprehensive" immigration bill, was dead. However, Democrats are intent on bringing it back piecemeal. Hence, the DREAM Act is back. Senator ####### Durbin is doing what he can to resurrect the act.

A bill S.2205 was introduced last week by Senators Chuck Hagel (R-NE), Richard Lugar (R-IN), and ####### Durbin. This senate bill grants amnesty to illegal aliens who arrived in the U.S. before the age of sixteen. Although publicized as a help to young students, the bill has no age limits on applicants and no caps as to the numbers. The final goodie is the provision that illegal aliens who are granted amnesty under the bill are eligible for federal financial aid.

There are now reports that Democrat Senate Leader Harry Reid plans to use a maneuver to bring it back as a stand-alone bill as early as this week by invoking Rule 14. This would allow him to fast-track the bill, with no debate and no markups, which is usually the procedure.

The DREAM Act has been around for several years and was included in the ill-fated “comprehensive” amnesty legislation defeated in the Senate this year. It has been changed from time to time, so some provisions have been altered or even omitted from different resurrections of the act.

Generally speaking, this act would allow illegal aliens the right to in-state tuition as it is offered now to citizens. The beneficiaries would be mostly high school grads, but one version of the act allows those of ages up to twenty-five years to receive the benefit. Also, there are loopholes for “family” and “hardships” Proponents argue that these young people were brought to this country at a young age and, due to no fault of their own, may not partake of in-state tuition. Those who oppose it state that these students would be allowed to compete with citizens for the slots available in colleges and universities, which slots are becoming scarce. They would probably be considered minority status, further giving them the edge in securing the slots available.

Also, the parents who broke our immigration laws in coming here with their children would benefit from that act of lawlessness. Their children would be put on a path to citizenship, and at some time would be able to sponsor their relatives for legal stature.

In one variation of the act, even gang members would be included in this benefit.In Senator Durbin’s latest try, the requirements are so minimal that gang members would have little trouble complying:

They came to the U.S. before age of 16. They have lived continuously in the U.S. for 5 years. They graduated from a U.S. high school.

Gang members can also receive amnesty by the DREAM act if they renounce their gang ties, but the statement would be allowed to be unsworn. Those who regularly rob, rape and kill are not good candidates to be believed, sworn or unsworn.

The age requirement seems to be highly flexible. One feature is that there is no stipulation as to how old an applicant can be. Kris Kobach, in a Heritage Foundation Backgrounder of September 13, 2007, stated that “a 45 year old can claim that he illegally entered the United States 30 years ago at the age of 15”. As proof of the claim that they were under the age of 16 when they were brought across the border, all they need to do is sign an affidavit.

To give the illegal alien every benefit possible, the framers of this act also included the stipulation that once an illegal files an application, he/she cannot be deported. Voila...instant amnesty.

Those Senators most closely associated with sponsoring legislation for the DREAM Act are Durbin, Lugar, Hatch, Kennedy, Feinstein, and Hagel.

There are powerful groups supporting this legislation, as they supported the “comprehensive” amnesty legislation that failed to pass. La Raza and other advocates for Hispanics support it. Also, as early as March, 2003, Catholic Charities USA was writing letters to senators such as Ted Kennedy, ####### Durbin, and Orrin Hatch, thanking them for their “strong support” for the U.S. raised child immigrants lacking immigration status. The Catholic Church has made a crusade out of “welcoming the stranger” in their churches. Cardinal Roger Mahony, who announced in public that he would not obey any restrictive laws against illegal aliens, was shown on TV promoting the amnesty alongside Ted Kennedy.

When the amnesty legislation was defeated, most American citizens probably thought they had prevailed in getting it killed. The congressional switchboards at one point were so swamped they shut down. However, the DREAM Act is one that is being brought back as a piecemeal attempt to get it through when it could not be passed in the omni-amnesty bill.

Once again, it is well to know where your legislators stand on this. We know of some of the groups who support the DREAM Act. Who is representing you, the average American voter? Are those who support amnesty hoping you are not paying attention? Will these legislators manage to get through Congress piecemeal what they could not get in the whole amnesty bill? Where do your representatives stand? Did they get your message?

http://www.webcommentary.com/asp/ShowArtic...amp;date=071023

[JODO 2]

It's more like the Nightmare Act.

[peejay 327]

It's more like the Nightmare Act.

I urge everyone to bombard the offices of their US senators with admonitions to vote "NO" to closure on this illegal alien reward the illegal alien cheerleading squad is attempting to fly under the radar of the American people by stealth. These arrogant bastards know the only way they can possibly get this ####### by us is to sneak it in (like the illegal aliens do themselves).

This DREAM Act needs to die once again (and again...and again...). Rotten fish doesn't smell any better with age.