'DREAM Act' Threat Remains

By Elise Cooper

Senator Harry Reid launched a sneak attack by adding the "DREAM Act" to the Defense Authorization Bill. Although the Defense Bill was temporarily sidelined Tuesday, most expect it to be revived at a later date. The Act will allow students who have lived in America for five years to obtain a green card after they attend college or serve in the military. This is nothing more than an amnesty program that gives citizenship to these illegal immigrants.

Although employers are the number-one contributor to illegal immigration, politicians such as Reid have now become accessories. It appears that they are rewarding those who are here illegally. Congressman Brian Bilbray (R-CA), chairman of the Immigration Reform Caucus, said, "Harry Reid is trying to pander to the illegal population and their supporters. He is sending a message that the leader of the U.S. Senate wants to reward those that are here illegally. That mixed signal causes people to think there are long-term benefits for coming here illegally."

Gaining admission into some California colleges is very difficult. There are only so many spaces, and this bill reduces the slots for legal residents and denies them the opportunity for a college education. Bilbray rightfully points out that that this is a "misguided concept where you reward people for breaking the law. There are a lot of foreign nationals that go to college; yet we don't offer them legal status or citizenship. These people are not being offered the same proposal."

By having non-citizens serve in the military, Reid has hypocritically allowed only the government to hire illegal immigrants while maintaining that other employers will violate the law. According to Bilbray, politicians should quit pandering to the illegal population, and employers should quit hiring them. This is not how America should function.

The congressman's solution is very simple: institute an E-Verify system, since "if Congress can use the system, anyone can use it. A bill with E-Verify will do more to stop the flow of illegal immigrants. We don't have to do it with the military at the border but with enforcement in the workplace." It is an internet-based system that allows an employer, using information reported on an employee's form, to determine the eligibility of that employee to work in the United States. For most employers, the use of E-Verify is voluntary and limited to new hires only. However, currently, every federal government agency must use E-Verify. The Obama administration has mandated that all contractors with the Federal Government use this system.

To make sure E-Verify will work, Bilbray wants the social security card, a national employment card, to be upgraded. Nothing has been done with this card since its inception in 1937. By using biometrics, the card will become tamper-proof, and identity fraud will be greatly reduced. For Bilbray, "it's not brain surgery. Once you dry up the jobs for illegal immigrants in this country, you will dry up the majority of this problem. This is not a border problem, but an illegal employment problem. If the federal government had passed E-verify, we would not be talking about Arizona trying to address this issue on their border."

Does Bilbray think that the Democrats will hijack the illegal immigration issue and pass it regardless of American objections? Most definitely, because several congressmen stated while in Mexico that "they were going to push amnesty after the November election." It will probably be passed because the Democrats in power want it. The mentality in Washington right now is that if they lose the majority after the 2010 elections, then they will put forth whatever they want. This is pretty scary since they are going to do what they want despite public opinion being against it.

The "DREAM Act" is sending the wrong signal that the way you become an American is to break the law. Congressman Bilbray is frustrated and upset and wants to make it clear that "Harry [Reid] is desperate and is in a tight election. However, there should be some issues more important than politics."

Print |

To comment on this or any other American Thinker article or blog, you must be a subscriber to our ad-free service. Login to your subscription to access the comments section. You can subscribe on a monthly basis for $6.79 a month or for a year at $69.99

Subscribe / Change Pwd