Musings on Immigration

Republican Senators Kyl, Hutchinson and McCain have introduced a terrible version of the DREAM Act called the "Achieve Act".   http://tinyurl.com/bumbsmy This bill is a counterfeit form of the immigration relief that kids really need.  The bill gives a "W" visa, good for two years, to work and study, to kids but does NOT lead to permanent legal status.  The qualifications are as follows: Must have entered the U.S. prior to age 14; Must be under the age of 29 on day of enactment, or under the age of 32 if individual has a college degree; Must have 5 years continuous presence on day of enactment; Must possess a High school diploma or GED on day of enactment; Must have Good moral character, no felonies, not more than one misdemeanor with a jail term of 30 days with certain exceptions, no crimes of “moral turpitude” and no final order of removal (no exceptions for driving without a license); and A $525 fee! This bill will NOT pass.  And, we can demand rea...

Now that Republicans have come to the immigration reform table, we have to ask ourselves, what will immigration reform look like five years after it was last addressed.  One thing is certain, the leverage has changed, and there are new players are at the table. Not the least of which are " Dreamers ."  What would pass for immigration reform in 2007 under a weakened President Bush will NOT be enough to satisfy all of the constituencies demanding immigration reform in 2013. What We Almost Had In 2007 There has been some talk of reviving the bill written in 2007 under President Bush.  This would be a monumentally bad idea and would be terrible for the future of immigration to America.   Let's take a look at what was on the table from a handful of Republicans, some anti-immigrant, (Graham, Kyl, Sessions, DeMint, Vitter, and some McCain), and more pro-immigrant Democrats (Feinstein, Martinez, Specter, and Salazar).  The  Comprehensive Immigration Refor...