Bill to aid immigrant students could pass in new Congress

Bill to aid immigrant students could pass in new Congress
The Salt Lake Tribune wire services
Article Last Updated: 12/17/2006 12:00:00 PM MST


WASHINGTON - Legislation that would let thousands of illegal-immigrant high school students attend college or serve in the military has a good chance of passing in a Congress controlled by Democrats, immigration experts say. A bill known as the DREAM Act would give illegal immigrants a conditional visa that would turn into permanent residency if they complete two years of college or serve honorably for two years in the armed forces. It also would allow them to qualify for in-state college tuition. Cecilia Munoz, vice president for policy at the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic civil rights organization, said Friday that the DREAM Act - short for Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors - is "very, very likely to be on the table" as part of a larger overhaul of the nation's immigration laws. In addition, Carlina Tapia-Ruano, president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said that the chances for the bill are "excellent." Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., a principal sponsor of the legislation in the House, is planning to introduce a new version early next year. He said he has met many excellent high school students over the years who were undocumented because of a choice their parents made and should not be punished for that. "When someone has lived, in many instances, almost their entire life here, they studied hard, they played by the rules, they should be able to continue studying," he said. Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch introduced the original legislation, called the DREAM Act, in 2003 and it passed out of the Judiciary Committee but did not get a full Senate vote. Hatch is not a co-sponsor but still supports the re-introduced version. This year, the DREAM Act had co-sponsors from both parties and passed in the Senate, but found strong opposition from House conservatives pushing for a crackdown on illegal immigration. These members said the DREAM Act amounted to a disguised amnesty. The Democrats' success in winning a House majority in last month's elections gives the bill a better chance, proponents said. The legislation would apply to illegal immigrants who arrived in the United States before age 16, have lived in the country for at least five years prior to the law's enactment, have graduated from high school or obtained a GED, and have no criminal record. The conditional visa would expire in six years if the individual did not successfully finish the two years of higher education or military service. The nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute in Washington estimates that the DREAM Act would make 279,000 people immediately eligible for college enrollment or military service. In addition, 715,000 illegal immigrants between the ages of 5 and 17 would become eligible in the future, according to the group. Margaret Stock, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve and a professor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, said that the DREAM Act could help replenish the military by providing a "highly qualified cohort of young people" that have already passed a background check. "They are already going to come vetted by Homeland Security. They will already have graduated from high school," she said. "They are prime candidates." Tapia-Ruano said that the people targeted by the DREAM Act have lived in the United States since they were small children, are fluent in English and represent the future of the nation. "They are completely acculturized, completely American," she said. "Who is it hurting to provide these individuals the opportunity to continue their education?" But some lawmakers say they'll fight the DREAM Act because it rewards illegal behavior. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., who leads a caucus pushing for stronger immigration controls, called for the deportation of an illegal immigrant student a few years ago when the person appeared in a newspaper article about the DREAM Act. "Why should we give a taxpayer subsidy to someone who shouldn't even be in this country, especially when we don't give it to legal American residents from another state?" said Tancredo, referring to in-state tuition. "This kind of thing only increases the 'magnet effect' of benefits that can typically draw even more illegal aliens." Procedural hurdles could also emerge. The legislation might be attached to a broader bill that provides a path to citizenship to millions of illegal immigrants and creates a new temporary worker plan. The larger measure has opponents on both sides of the aisle. - By Eunice Moscoso, Cox News Service