The Senate is looking toward bringing back the Dream Act, even though the Senate is being run by Republicans.
The Hill reports that Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) will be bringing forth the bill on Thursday as Barack Obama’s executive amnesty, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), hangs in the balance of the federal courts.
Here are more details about the upcoming proposal:
Under the 2017 Dream Act, immigrants would qualify for permanent residence and a path to citizenship if they are longtime residents who came to the United States as children; earn a high school diploma or GED; pursue higher education, have lawful employment for three years or serve in the military; pass a background check and pay a fee; show proficiency in English and U.S. history; and have not committed a felony or pose a threat to the country.
Earlier versions of the bill and the DACA program had similar guidelines, but in most cases had cut-off dates for final entry, making only certain childhood immigrants eligible for benefits.
It’s worth noting that Graham and Durbin were both part of the infamous Gang of Eight that produced an abysmal piece of amnesty legislation that failed in the House.
The Hill report quotes Marc Short, the White House legislative director, as saying that the administration is “likely to be consistent in” their opposition to the Dream Act, but President Trump has kept DACA in place and previously stated that Dreamers can “rest easy” under his administration. The president has also expressed a willingness to support “a comprehensive immigration plan.”
It is actually possible that the Dream Act could pass the Senate given that there are a number of Republicans who are weak on immigration, such as Graham, which would be unwise from both a policy and political standpoint.
On policy, the Dream Act would increase welfare spending on illegals and incentivize more people to enter the United States illegally, as Daniel Horowitz has argued. It would be disastrous from a political perspective since one of the main issues that Trump rode to the White House on was his hardline immigration stance. Passing the Dream Act and signing it into law would be a major betrayal of the Republican base.
Parting thought: