For those who are against the DREAM ACT thinking it is amnesty for undocumented college students -
Since most states do not have in-state tuition - many DREAM ACT students will have no choice but to join the military to qualify for residency. People do not realize the desperation of the students. Of course they are patriotic... but their main impetus to enlist will be to meet the DREAM ACT requirements.
As you know, these days to enlist in the military means serving time in IRAQ. Would you still call that amnesty?
-----
Camp Pendleton readying 11,000 troops for Iraq assignment at year's end
By: MARK WALKER - Staff Writer
North County Times
CAMP PENDLETON -- When an estimated 11,000 Camp Pendleton troops head to Iraq soon, they'll be taking a host of new equipment with them such as lighter helmets, better flak jackets and more heavily armored vehicles.
...The Pentagon announced in late July that three major Camp Pendleton units would be deployed beginning late this year and continuing into early 2008...
-----
Some activists criticize 'Dream Act' as a draft for illegal immigrants
By: EDWARD SIFUENTES - Staff Writer
North County Times
A bill expected to come before the Senate next month would give illegal immigrants who came into the country as children a chance to become legal residents by serving two years in the military.
The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, known as the Dream Act, was conceived six years ago as a way of giving young illegal immigrants a vehicle to legalize their status by attending college.
The bill, which is on hold in Congress, faces stiff opposition and an uphill road. It has gone through several changes and had been carried by different sponsors in the House and Senate. It was introduced in the Senate by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, in 2001.
It was changed in 2003 to include military service to gain greater appeal among Republicans.
The Dream Act is supported by some in Congress, the military and in some immigrant rights groups who say it would benefit immigrant children while bolstering the military ranks. It is opposed by activists on both sides of the immigration debate who call it everything from an amnesty plan to a draft for immigrants.
A draft for immigrants?
If approved, the bill would apply to an estimated 280,000 illegal immigrants, according an analysis of the measure.
Opponents, including some Latino activists, say the bill would railroad illegal immigrants into military service rather than college.
"I see it as a sort of draft," said Fernando Suarez del Solar, a local Latino anti-war activist. "It's immoral."
Suarez del Solar of Escondido founded the anti-war group Guerrero Azteca after his son, Lance Cpl. Jesus Suarez del Solar, was killed in Iraq. He said he would support the bill if illegal immigrants are also given the option of two years of community service, which had been included in an earlier version of the bill.
"What I've asked for is a wider range of options," Suarez del Solar said.
Supporters say the bill gives individuals a choice.
"The bill recognizes that while some young people choose to attend college, others decide to serve in the military," said Federico de Jesus, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., one of the bill's main advocates. "The bill reflects these life decisions and provides young people an opportunity to achieve their dreams."
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., is the current bill's main sponsor in the Senate, along with a bipartisan group of about 26 co-sponsors. De Jesus said Reid plans to bring back the bill for debate in the Senate by Nov. 16.
The Dream Act was included in a comprehensive immigration reform plan debated in the Senate this summer. The wide-ranging plan, which included measures to increase border security and provisions to legalize millions of illegal immigrants, was defeated after much public debate.
Two weeks ago, Reid attempted to include the Dream Act in a defense spending bill, but pulled it back at the last minute.
Military signals support
The bill would give temporary legal residency to high school graduates who have lived in the U.S. at least five years and arrived here by age 15. Qualified applicants who agreed to enroll in college or join the military would become legal U.S. residents for six years. Those who passed a criminal background check and attended college for two years or served two years in the military could apply for citizenship.
Defense officials and military analysts have signaled their support for the bill. They say it would help the military meet its recruitment goals in light of sagging enlistment figures and plans to expand some branches of the armed forces.
Bill Carr, acting deputy undersecretary of defense for military personnel policy, told representatives of veterans groups in June that the Dream Act would help military recruitment and readiness, according to the Defense Department's internal news service.
Because the provision would apply only to high school graduates who have stayed out of trouble, it would be "very appealing" to the military, Carr said.
An analysis of the Dream Act by the Migration Policy Institute estimated that as many as 280,000 high school graduates between the ages of 18 and 24 would meet the necessary requirements to become legal residents if the bill becomes law.
The Washington-based think tank, which specializes in immigration matters and is funded through various foundation grants, concluded in a policy paper last fall that it's difficult to estimate how many of those young people would join the military. But the group added that a "significant share" might enlist based on recent research.
The organization pointed to a 2004 survey by the Rand Corp., a private, nonprofit organization that researches an array of issues, including education, poverty, crime and national security; that survey indicated a high interest among Latinos to serve in the military.
About one-third of young Latino women and about 45 percent of Latino men reported they were "likely" or "very likely" to serve, according to the survey. That compares with 24 percent of white men and 10 percent of white women.
About 35,000 noncitizens who are legal residents serve in the military and about 8,000 of them enlist each year, according to Pentagon figures.
Anti-immigration groups oppose it
Despite support from some military officials and top Republicans in the Senate, the bill is expected to face significant opposition from grass-roots, anti-illegal immigration groups, as well as lawmakers such as Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-Solana Beach, who has said he opposes it.
A North Carolina group called Americans for Legal Immigration and others mounted a public relations campaign against the bill last month when it came before the Senate.
"Most Americans do not support the Dream Act," said William Gheen, a spokesman for Americans for Legal Immigration. "It's amnesty."
Gheen added that "the idea of training illegal aliens to use elite weaponry" was not a good national security strategy because he believes many illegal immigrants have "separatist and racist political ideologies."
Some immigrant rights groups say the bill is a welcome, common sense solution for illegal immigrants who came here as children but have lost hope in becoming Americans. Some are unable to establish productive lives in this country and are unlikely to return to a birth country they don't know, advocates say.
"Narrowly targeted measures like the Dream Act ... can point the way towards real improvements for American families, the American economy, and the bright future of immigrants in the country," said Frank Sharry in a written statement. He is executive director of the National Immigration Forum, a pro-immigrant advocacy group in Washington.
Others who support legalization measures say they want a more comprehensive approach to immigration reform.
Jorge Mariscal, a UC San Diego professor of Latino studies and a Vietnam War veteran, said illegal immigrants may be forced into military service by the Dream Act because they may not be able to afford college tuition.
Mariscal is also part of an Encinitas-based group called Project on Youth and Non-Military Opportunities that acts as a counterpoint to military recruiters in local high schools.
"You are talking about a population that is absolutely desperate for legalization," he said. "And they are so desperate that they are going to join for the wrong reasons."
Contact staff writer Edward Sifuentes at (760) 740-3511 or esifuentes@nctimes.com.
for link to article click title to this post
No comments:
Post a Comment