Rubio: My DREAM Act Passes The Kris Kobach Test

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/20...obach-test.php

Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) GOP-friendly version of the DREAM Act will not give a special pathway to citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants who pursue a college education. Nor will it provide federal financial aid or in-state tuition. But it will, he hopes, allow those children to work their way through school.

It’s a DREAM vision Rubio says will pass the test of Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R), the man who keeps insisting he’s one of Mitt Romney’s immigration policy advisers, to the chagrin of the Romney campaign, which has recently tried to downplay his involvement in the campaign.

On Wednesday, Kobach sketched out once again the GOP’s problem with DREAM: The proposal, supported by President Obama, would allow children who grew up in the U.S. but were brought here illegally by their parents to earn citizenship in the country they know best by serving in the military or getting a college degree.

The idea is unacceptable to Kobach — and the existing proposal is unacceptable to Romney, as well.

“I’d absolutely reject any proposal that would give a path to legal status for illegal aliens en masse,” Kobach told the Washington Post. “That is what amnesty is. I do not expect [Romney] to propose or embrace amnesty.”

Rubio is still in the process of drafting his DREAM Act proposal. But he got pretty specific about what his bill will do at a National Journal forum Thursday. One thing it won’t do, Rubio insisted, is run afoul of the Kobaches of the world.

“I don’t think that falls within that criticism,” Rubio said when asked about Kobach’s resistance to the current DREAM Act.

Rubio explained his plan:

All it does, it takes something that already exists, which is it takes non-immigrant visas and applies it to children who have grown up in this country, who we spent thousands of dollars educating … [and] allows them to continue to contribute to this country and if they eventually decide they would like to become residents and then thereafter citizens, allow that to do that the same way that anybody else in the world would be able to do it, and that is by accessing the existing route that is now in place.


That vision of DREAM has already drawn fire from Latino advocates and Democrats, who say it creates a second-class citizenship for millions of people who have spent most of their lives in America. Rubio dismissed those claims.

“There is no limbo,” he said. “The limbo is what they have now.”

Put out the bill already dude!!

Rubio's bill will pass! Democrats have no option. If only advocates could stop bitching. They do not represent us. I smell corruption... I would not be surprised if these people are making money out of our situation. Who can agree with me?

Ha ha!!! The bills a joke. Basically it'll let us go to college if WE pay for it. It will not make us citizens. NOT EVEN RESIDENTS! It says "if we eventually decide to become residents and then thereafter citizens, we will be ALLOWED to do that the same way that anybody else in the world would be able to do it, and that is by accessing the existing route that is now in place."

IF WE COULD ACCESS THE EXISTING ROUTE THAT'S ALREADY IN PLACE THERE WOULD BE NO NEED FOR THE DREAM ACT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I QUIT!!! I WISH THEY WOULD KILL ME LIKE ANASTACIO. My one and only request is that they video tape it and show it to the world!!!! They wanted to know how to stop people from coming here!!! THERE THEY GO! I VOLUNTEER.

*plain and simply tired of "living"!

Republicans have no option likewise! They must vote for the bill because we are not freakin stupid here. They're not getting votes for nothing. This is America. Nothing is free. Dream Act must pass.

This bill is so reasoniable, I don't know how the dems are going to oppose it. If this bill doesn't pass between now and 2013,we can forget about any immigration related bill to benefit us passing anytime in the next 10 years. My chose would be the orginial DREAM Act, but this looks like is going to be our best and last chance to date.

This. I think this really is the endgame for Dream Act, passage or failure, no more grey areas. A perfect compromise has been put on the table and those who are crying "amnesty" must come to the table. This is Dream Act on the brink!

Are you kidding me?

I busted my ass through college and paid out of pocket... You can do the same. You cannot expect for someone else to give you free handouts. The bills is fair in every possible way.

You busted your ass paying $20,000 a year?

I don't understand why some here are overlooking one of the most, if not the most important thing. We will be allowed to STAY HERE!! I remember back in the 2006 CIR bill, there were requirements that you have to return home first.