Sunday, November 11, 2012

There is Light at the End of the Tunnel for the Immigration Reform/DREAM Act!


             The re-election of President Barack Obama in this 2012 election might indicate     a bright future for immigration reform as well as for the Dream Act. A few days after the president's re-election, a tangible impact on the issue of immigration has already been felt: Maryland State has passed a version of Dream Act, and at the same time Democrat and Republican senators gave an interview to NBC’s “Meet the Press” to recall reviewing the opposition of Republicans on the immigration reform.
               In Annapolis, State of Maryland provided its own version of Dream Act which was actually passed with the 58 percent of votes in the referendum.  So, as of today, this is the 13th state, which can be as an example for other states to “allow illegal immigrant to pay in-state tuition at public colleges, if they meet certain qualifications.” Frank Sharry, executive director of America’s Voice Education fund has said:” … winning a statewide referendum for the first time often has a way of showing that has passed through the “crucible of American politics” and officially arrived as an issue. She thinks that “this is a huge turning point in the nationwide debate about immigration policy, and it should be seen in that light.” This is the real hope for undocumented immigrants in the State of Maryland. Passing this act could be their biggest chance to go on and improve their lives, and actually to be less dependent on public benefits. By allowing undocumented immigrants to complete diploma in high school and continue their education the college level, they will be converted to law abiding citizens. Also, it was written in a new report from the Maryland Institute for Policy Analysis and Research at the University of Maryland (MIPAR), Baltimore County, that the Maryland Dream Act will benefit the State financially and economically by adding approximately $66 million annually to the State’s budget.  “Even if the only consideration is the fiscal effects on state and local governments, the net economic effects of the Maryland Dream Act will be positive.” Also, as studies have shown 435 high school students are willing and, actually, it is the one of Dream Act’s terms, to continue their education in colleges in Maryland. “The family would need to decide at least three years before high school graduation to move to Maryland, and once in the state would need to make sure that the student spent a minimum of three years in, and graduate from, a Maryland high school (as well as paying state and federal income taxes for all years).” So approving the Dream Act will benefit illegal immigrants and the economic condition of the state.
             Democrat Senator Charles Schumer has said that he and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham are going officially to recall reviewing the opposition on immigrant reform, which had failed two years ago. “Senator Graham and I are talking to our colleagues about this right now. I think we have a darned good chance using this blueprint to get something done this year. The Republican Party has learned that being…anti-immigrant doesn't work for them politically. And they know it,” Senator Schumer said. This point became clear after seeing the results in this 2012 election and how supporting immigration reform helped bring victory to the democratic party. Barack Obama won 70 percent of Latino’s votes. It was estimated that 12 million illegal immigrants currently live in the United States. According to these numbers something simply has to be done about current immigration situation in the country. And Senator Schumer introduced their comprehensive plan of immigration reform. The plan is consisting of four terms: “requiring high-tech, fraud-proof Social Security cards to ensure that illegal workers cannot get jobs; strengthening border security and enforcement of immigration laws; creating a process for admitting temporary workers; and implementing a path to legal status for immigrants already in the country.” This cooperative plan seems very specific and straight to the point and the best part about this plan that it had been developed by Democrats and Republican in a joint effort, which may eventually lead to success
          After analyzing the post-election developments on immigration and the Dream Act we can say with certainty that Maryland will now serve as an example for other states on how to educate and legalize undocumented immigrants. Also it is safe to say that since the election the roulette has started to roll, and that immigration issues are being properly addressed now. Also with both parties, Democrats and Republicans,  working together there is greater hope to resolve these problems.

2 comments:

  1. As you wrote, it is great to see that those 2 parties, which are completely different in their views, agreed at least on one thing. They both really did introduced immigration plans, which are very similar one to another. Both senators said that plan would include developing a secure document to assure employers they're hiring people authorized to work in the country, and allowing legal immigration for needed workers at all skill levels. Both paths to citizenship would require immigrants to learn English, go to the back of the citizenship line, have a job and not commit crimes. The fact that even Republicans, the party associated with crackdowns on illegal immigration, now favored a path them staying in our country.


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    1. Actually, in last few days after election there were more interviews that I provided.
      John Boehner to Sean Hannity, Eric Cantor to Charles Krauthammer: “Republicans […] must moderate their positions on immigration in order to win Latino vote- or eventually face irrelevance as party.”
      Senator John McCain talked to the Arizona: “It’s obvious that we’ll have to review the whole issue of the Hispanic voter and see what steps we need to take to regain that vote [...]. We’ll have to review the issue of immigration reform.”
      Republican Congressman Henry Bonilla: “I can’t imagine that if you’re a Republican and have any level of sanity left, that you did not feel this earthquake and want to do something about it before your whole political future craters.”
      Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour: “We not only need Ph.Ds. in science and technology, we need skilled workers and we need unskilled workers. And we need to have immigration policy that is good economic policy, and then- and then the politics will take care of itself.”

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