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Filabuster · 08:50 AM

Quote:

Arizona's Jon Kyl is reportedly working with a group of other Republican senators, most notably Florida's Marco Rubio, on an alternative to the Dream Act.

Rather than a path to citizenship for children who are in the country illegally if they go to college or serve in the military, the Republican alternative would give them a visa that would permit them to legally live in the country, go to school and work. They could then apply for citizenship following the existing routes but wouldn't be given a special, shorter one.

Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid has already said he will try to defeat the effort. That would be cruel.
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A sound argument can be made that a path to citizenship would be better and more appropriate for children in these circumstances. In fact, I would make it.

But a Dream Act that includes a path to citizenship isn't going to pass this Congress. That has already been proved.

With the support of Kyl and Rubio, a Dream Act that provided legal status short of citizenship would have a chance of attracting enough Republican votes for passage -- if Democrats would vote for it, even while criticizing it for being inadequate.

There is zero question that the legal status Kyl and Rubio are proposing is infinitely better for these children than the current legal limbo they are in. The Obama administration has basically said that they won't be deported. But they cannot legally live and work here. If they get a college degree, the ability to put it to work in this country is highly problematic.

Under the Kyl-Rubio alternative, the uncertainty in their lives would be gone. They could legally live, study and work in the United States.

If Democrats want to make the political point that they love Latinos more, put up the citizenship Dream Act first and make Republicans vote against it. Condemn Republicans for not wanting to include these children as full participants in our body politic.

But then vote for the thing that will remove the uncertainty in their lives that has a chance of passing. Don't hold the children hostage to make a political point.

Source: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepu...#ixzz1rP6ese5B