Frank Sharry, former director of the National Immigration Forum and founder of America's Voice, proposed last week that Congress pass just the DREAM Act and AgJOBS bill and work on comprehensive reform later.
The DREAM bill (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors), sponsored by Sens. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) and Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.), would grant legal status to about 1 million young people brought into the United States illegally as children if they are in college or join the military.
AgJOBS, sponsored by Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Lugar, would enable long-standing illegal farm workers -- about 1 million, including family members -- to gain legal status and would expand temporary worker slots for farm labor.
The idea of incremental reform has been advocated for years by the founder of the National Immigration Forum, Rick Swartz, but it has been resisted -- and still is -- by many activists who demand nothing less than earned legalization for most of the country's 12 million illegal immigrants.
Swartz calls for passage of DREAM, AgJOBS, federal aid to states and localities affected by illegal immigration, "green cards for graduates," expansion of high-skill H1-B visas and some enhanced enforcement as a "down payment" on more expansive reform.
