Rubio: The new DREAM Act is about humanitarian relief, not immigration reform

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., on Thursday offered up a new explanation for his version of the DREAM Act, casting it less as immigration reform than humanitarian relief for a specific group of young people who face deportation.

He described their cases as similar to those of Cuban refugees who are allowed to come to the United States and stay, jumping in line in front of other possible immigrants because the U.S. has made an exception in light of the political circumstances in Cuba.

"This is for a very specific case of people," said Rubio, speaking in Washington D.C. to a group of business people from Des Moines. Rubio was there at the invitation of Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who frequently invites fellow senators to speak to the gathering.

Rubio, who recently has previewed pieces of his proposal, didn't address immigration directly until he was asked questions after his speech. And even then, while he was critical of the country's existing immigration system, he had to be pressed to talk about his own alternative to the DREAM Act.

The DREAM Act -- supported by many Democrats and President Obama and stalled in Congress -- allows young people who came to the U.S. illegally with their parents as children to stay in this country. Rubio's proposal would not provide a direct path to citizenship for those young people, who would nontheless be allowed to stay in the country under his proposal. They would still have to apply for residency and citizenship, though.

Rubio also suggested that he's not interested in tackling comprehensive immigration reform. That allows bad ideas in with the good, he said. Instead, Rubio said, Congress needs to address the DREAM Act kids and other specific immigration problems, such as creating a guest worker program and a way for employers to verify the immigration status of potential hires.

Rubio was highly critical of specific provisions of the existing DREAM Act. The direct path to citizenship allows young people to become U.S. citizens and then sponsor family members for citizenship. Rubio said he's concerned some of those the young people could sponsor would be their parents -- the very people who brought their children to the U.S. illegally. He said it would allow up to 3 million people to become U.S. citizens -- although it's unclear where that figure came from.

Comments

[Delaware Bob]

The DREAM Act is amnesty, and that is why I was always against the DREAM Act, but, I’ll give in to the DREAM Act under two conditions. First, the parents who bought their illegal alien children here illegally MUST be deported. Second, the parents can NEVER return to this country and the student can NEVER sponsor them or any other family member that would start a chain migration. The student will start the DREAM Act as soon as the parents are deported or leave. This, I believe, is a good compromise. The students will be rewarded for something that was not their fault and the parents will pay for their crime of entering this country illegally and putting their child in this position. If you do not like this compromise, then the parents can just take their children back to the country from which they came. AGREE? If not, let all of them pack their bags and get the hell out of this country. They DO NOT belong here.

Illegal immigration is a cancer, it has to be eradicated not tolerated.

We did amnesty before. It does NOT work. Look what we got now. 12-20 million illegal aliens. What will we do in 3-5 years when we have another 5-10 million here? Give them amnesty, to? Just enforce the law and get rid of the illegal aliens and their anchor babies.

[Miami Man]

Being for or against the DREAM Act is up to individuals who are concerened. My question to the nay sayers is this...how many ppl are capable of graduating from college? No one seems to have an issue with the military part of the DREAM Act, they just hate the fact that someone can attain residency (not citizenship) from this law. However what is the rate in which students graduate from college? The DREAM Act is not a gift, it is earned. This country has always been about rewarding hard workers, when did it become a country based on hate and resentment towards others?

[Hacim Obmed]

Miami Man
The military service requirement insures two things; First, that the alien is truly of good character and of sound body and mind. Hence we can be reasonable assurance they will never become a burden to the country if they get citizenship. Second is insures that the alien is willing to risk his/her precious hide for the sake of the united states of america. That puts them a cut above the general run of the mill immigrant and even above most of our own kids.
On the other hand what the heck does attending college show? There are colleges with all different degrees of difficulty and some will accept students who have committed crimes, are hardly literate and who have all kinds of physical and mental problems. Furthermore college is something that a person does for their own betterment and doing so says noting about there patriotism. Remember the people who we are talking about are already Illegal Aliens and are subject to deportation. Hence allowing them to stay is an act of Amnesty and there is nothing about attending college would entitles a person to amnesty for anything. Would you give amnesty to a thief if they attended college? Why deport one kid because he was too poor and didn't attended college and let a different kid who had parents who could afford college get amnesty? Amnesty for attending college is a silly and totally unacceptable idea. Typical liberal BS even to suggest such nonsense.

[Keven O'Briam]

..We need to do something for fix this problem....Dream-Act is a perfect first step for to do.

[Blake]

I agree I am for the Dream Act. It is needed you cant even verify your employees status except by using the Social Security System and E Verify both of which are very flawed programs. I cant believe the comment above where he states to send the parents back to their country of origin. I think that's crazy talk bring your kids here so they don't starve then live the rest of your life apart. Lets send you back to Europe where most likely your heritage is from and leave your children here for the rest of their life. Remember the Dream Acts in all their forms give them WORK authorization not citizenship. They do not get our Medicare or Social Security money then just get to live and work here. Face it we need the employees we have more rural farming jobs than ever before and they are willing to do the work and do a good job at it.

[Sennen Kennedy]

Many Caucasians are afraid because latinos will become majority in America for a couple of years, those racistare hiden behind many reason to refuse amnisty to those living in America for many years. I just want you to know those illegals immigrants are ( Irish, German, Jews,French, Egyptians, Moroccan, Philipinos, Mexican, El Salvadorian, Cameroonian, Canadian..etc).
Many of those caucasians illigals immigrants share the same DNA with you..... Shame to be racist but This is a fact : No republican will become president until you admit the fact that a Comprehnsive Immigration Law is a solution... Just wait and see.