Pirate's Cove

Democrats have been calling for a “clean” immigration bill for several years, meaning one that provides legal status and even a pathway to citizenship with zero border or other security included, with nothing that looks to stop illegal immigration nor deters it. And here we go

House Dem propose offering 2M immigrants chance to apply for U.S. citizenship

House Democrats presented a broad immigration proposal Tuesday that would allow more than 2 million immigrants to apply for U.S. citizenship, including “dreamers” and those with temporary work permits who could soon face deportation under Trump administration policies.

The Dream and Promise Act of 2019 comes two months after Democrats took control of the House and a day after the White House announced a budget proposal that would put billions of dollars toward a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and would increase immigration enforcement and border security.

The bill would offer green cards and a path to citizenship to undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States as children or teenagers – those known as “Dreamers” – and to people now in the country on temporary permits that prevent them from being deported. (snip)

It is unclear how many immigrants would benefit from the legislation, but congressional aides said the number of dreamers probably would be similar to the 2.1 million people who would have been covered under a bipartisan Senate measure that was proposed in 2017, according to the Migration Policy Institute.

That estimate is more than three times the 674,900 immigrants enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, also known as DACA, program as of February. Trump criticized the Obama administration’s program as a way to skirt Congress and ended it in 2017.

The bill also would cover people with temporary protected status, which has allowed people from El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Somalia and other countries to avoid being deported to nations engulfed in war or affected by natural disasters. A smaller group of Liberians that has been granted Deferred Enforced Departure also would be protected. Trump also has sought to end these protections, spurring lawsuits that halted at least one of the efforts.

Temporary protected status means just that: temporary. Not a means to remain in the U.S. permanently. Further, what about those who committed the “sin” of bringing the kids illegally? We’re not supposed to punish the kids, but, should we not punish the parents? Not in this bill.

Dreamers would be able to apply for 10-year conditional green cards if they came to the United States when they were 17 or younger and if they have lived in the country for at least four years, among other requirements. They would be able to obtain full green cards after completing at least two years of postsecondary education or military service or after working for three years.

Immigrants would not be allowed to apply if they have been convicted of crimes punishable by more than a year in prison or if they have been convicted of three or more offenses that carry sentences of more than 90 days in jail.

The measure also calls for dreamers to be allowed to apply for federal financial aid to pay for college and to apply to return to the United States if they were previously deported but meet all the other requirements.

Immigrants with temporary protected status or deferred deportations could immediately apply for green cards if they have been in the country for at least three years, had their status as of September 2016 and pass background checks.

In other words, tons of these illegals with convictions that do not carry jail sentences are just fine. I wonder if the bill includes a way to blow off illegals who stole the identities of legal residents? Anyhow, they can apply for citizenship 5 years after obtaining a green card.

Democrats have refused to allow those trade-offs (meaning security and everything that stops illegal immigration), arguing that it would protect young immigrants but increase their parents’ and relatives’ risks of being deported.

So, they’re going to find a way to give the “sinners” legal status, as well. And you know that the bill is going to be much, much worse, once the full text is available.