DREAM Act Proposes More than Amnesty

Supporters of Sen. Durbin’s DREAM Act will say that the purpose of the bill is to ensure that the children of illegal aliens–who were brought here through no fault of their own and shouldn’t be penalized for the sins of their parents–have an opportunity to go to college. What they won’t tell you is that it would provide amnesty to any illegal alien under the age of 35 who first entered the United States before the age of 16, has been in the country for at least the last five years, and has earned a high school diploma or GED in the United States.

But here’s the kicker: Illegal aliens only have to submit a petition in which they claim to meet these requirements. There is not a single provision in the DREAM Act that requires the aliens to provide proof that the claims are true. In fact, once an illegal alien submits this required petition, the only way the alien can be denied amnesty is if DHS proves that the claims are false. The potential for fraud is virtually unlimited.

The incentives created by the bill make massive fraud a certainty. For example, once an illegal alien files a petition for amnesty, regardless of whether the alien actually meets the requirements or not, DHS is prohibited from deporting that individual for any reason until the petition is granted or until DHS has found proof that the alien does not qualify and so denies the petition. There are no exceptions to this. So, as long as an illegal alien files an amnesty petition before he flies a plane into the World Trade Center or goes on a killing spree in a local mall, we are stuck with him for as long as it takes an already backlogged agency to consider his application for amnesty. Rest assured, though, that no illegal alien with a criminal record–unless it only involves one or two misdemeanor convictions like DUIs or domestic violence, or it only involves violations of immigration laws–or who is a terrorist–at least not ones we actually know are terrorists because they are listed on the terrorist watch list and they use their real names to apply–can qualify for amnesty.

Of course, the bill requires DHS to move all amnesty petitions to the front of the line–ahead of the millions of people who have been waiting for years to come to the United States legally–so it shouldn’t take more than six months or so to decide any one application–unless amnesty is denied, in which case the illegal alien could extend the process for several years by appealing the denial.

The DREAM Act sets no numerical limits on how many illegal aliens may be granted amnesty, and they cannot be counted against the current annual Green Card limits. Furthermore, once granted permanent resident status, beneficiaries of the DREAM amnesty can then sponsor their relatives for legal immigration to the United States under current chain migration laws. So all in all, this little bill to ensure that children can get a good education would quickly begin to rival the “one-time-only” amnesty of 1986, under which some three million illegal aliens and their spouses and children were given green cards, along with countless extended relatives.

Finally, just in case future illegal aliens–who would continue entering the United States in even larger numbers since amnesty always causes more illegal immigration and this bill does absolutely nothing to deter it–feel left out, the DREAM Act would retroactively repeal the federal law that prohibits state colleges and universities from giving illegal aliens in-state tuition rates. The repeal would have two results: First, it would mean that each state would be free to decide whether to give in-state tuition to illegal aliens instead of U.S. citizens and legal residents (after all, there are a set number of in-state tuition slots, so giving one to an illegal alien means one less for a citizen or legal resident); and second, it would nullify the various lawsuits that have been filed challenging those states that already have violated federal law by giving illegal aliens in-state tuition, so those states would get away with breaking the law with impunity. Now, there’s a lesson we all want our children to learn, right?

For NumbersUSA’s full analysis of the DREAM Act, see our Fact Sheet.

You can also visit the Proposed Bills page and look under Amnesty for updates on the DREAM Act.

For most of you, there are faxes on your Action Buffet to send to your Representatives urging them not to support the DREAM Act.