Dream Act in 2009?

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/04/22/dream

nobody will know what happen next. let all cross the finger and pray.

Yeah I guess the show of support is good news but I don't really know how I feel about the DA being included with the CIR.

To be honest, most of the people affected(like my parents for example) do realize that the CIR can wait till next year. Actually let me rephrase, they wouldn't be surprised if it got delayed due to the current state of our economy. People who are working as landscapers or construction workers now, will probably be working those same jobs next year, barring other factors. Yes, CIR would improve their quality of life a great deal, but let's be honest a person who has worked all their life as a carpenter isn't going to start a hedge fund once he gets his green card. His salary might increase(although not necessarily) and he might be entitled to some benefits(again not all the "legal" jobs offer it) and a tax refund, but it wouldn't be life-altering.

It is nothing like the Dream Act. For us that act is life defining. A lot of us have college degrees, and with time they are losing their value simply because we can neither advance our studies nor get experience. In a few years, they might be completely useless. I mean how would you feel being operated on by surgeon whose been 5 years out of practice?

We are not looking to just live through the rest of our lives like our parents. We also want to contribute to the worls in the best way we can, through the education we have acquired.

I completely agree. Honestly, the thought of Dream getting attached to CIR makes me so nervous, for I feel that the chances of getting it passed would be much lower. Having both of them pass would truly be a miracle, but it's risky. I hope that the Congress isn't willing to take such a risk.

Not only I don't think the DA should be attached to CIR but I also think trying to do the while CIR all at once is a bad idea. Basically there are numerous points that need to be addressed: work visas, infinite backlog, shorter waiting times as well as the more conservative ones like employment verification and border security.

Of course I am biased but I think the congress should start with the Dream Act, and once the administration restabilizes itself after that(would probably take approx. 3 months for all the applications to be received by the first office, and once these applications are approved and forewarded to other offices involved in the process, they could now start accepting applications for the second part of CIR) they could move on.

IMO, the best idea would be something like this, with voting on respective part every 3 months.

1)Dream Act
2)Work Visas/eventual AOS for the petitioners that have been in (and working) the U.S. longer than 10 years. Those people are not going anywhere unless they get deported.
3)Work Visas for workers with a 5-10 years of experience(or equivalent education: for example 4 years of school + 2 years of internships/volounteering etc) with some preference to those who already have a job in their field. Also, 5 years minimum in the US.
4) Low-wage workers who fill all the positions an average American will never ever do: farming, house cleaning etc.. Just like the 2nd group, the will always find work in the US, as long as people need them and there is no one else who will do the job. Americans don't realize that people don't come here looking for work, but instead jobs are already waiting for the people coming here. Its crazy, several of my family members from home have visited me over the years and within a week(usually like 3 days) they would have a job ready. Here however we would also have to include people who have been here for at least 3-5 years.
5)People who have been here less than 2-5 years could apply for a work visa in the US, less than 2 years, you have to apply in your home country. And if you are complaining that you might have to go back after 2 years, there is something really wrong with you. Some of us have been here for 15+ and we know what it means to really not want to leave.
6)Some reasonable employment verification system-just because I-9 seems to draw a lot of criticism these days, and a CIR will never pass without some support from the opposition....oxymoron I know .
7)Border security- it has to be done, even if only for the reason of preventing this mess from ever happening again.
8 )Improving the ways for legal immigration

In terms of strategies for pushing the DREAM Act through Congress, Zogby said that the first priority is to include it within comprehensive immigration reform legislation. "If for some reason there's a decision not to move forward with comprehensive immigration reform, (we'll consider other options,") he said.

If cir doesn't make it, "the other options" are to try to pass it as a stand alone.... right?

Yeah, that is the plan right now.

Because it doesn't seem realistic for Congress to start with something as small as the Dream Act and then push for CIR. To me it seems unreasonable, but I guess the whole world of politics is unreasonable IMO.

Had this come from Reid or someone else, I would dismiss it, but it since it came from Durbin's office, I'm assuming there's a reason for it.

"In Durbin We Trust."

This is great news. Now we officially know that even if CIR fails (I doubt it) Durbin will bring it up as a stand-alone bill.

Sam here, hopefully the other option means a standalone bill