Dream Act lite

When the Department of Homeland Security opened applications in mid-August for undocumented immigrants who are students and soldiers to get a reprieve from deportation, the big question was how many would step out of the shadows and into the applicant pool.
Now, the numbers are in for the program's first month. As of Sept. 13, at least 82,000 illegal immigrants have filed applications to take the government up on its offer, a program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), the DHS announced Friday. That’s almost 7 percent of the 1.2 million illegal immigrants whom advocacy groups estimate are currently eligible for the program.
“All in all, we’re very satisfied,” not only with the number of applicants but “also with the way the program is being implemented,” says Marielena Hincapie, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center.
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While some advocates may have expected “hundreds of thousands” of applications out of the gate, Ms. Hincapie says that was never a realistic proposition because of the complexity of the application, concerns from illegal immigrants about making themselves known to the government, and questions about how a potential President Mitt Romney would handle the program.
Another 500,000 or so individuals will meet eligibility requirements in the future, according to an analysis by the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), for a total of about 1.7 million potential applicants.
Of the 82,000 people to apply, 63,000 have appointments scheduled for the recording of biometric data. Twenty-nine cases have already been resolved, with 1,660 more cases ready for final review, according to DHS.

The rapidity with which DHS has handled some applications left long-time critic Rep. Lamar Smith (R) of Texas wondering whether the applicants were thoroughly vetted. Moreover, Representative Smith said in a statement Wednesday, the speed with which DACA applicants moved through the system raised his eyebrows about whether their cases received preference over other immigrants.

“While it took the administration less than three weeks to process several amnesty applications, it can take several months for some legal immigration benefit applications to be approved. It’s appalling the administration has diverted resources from approving applications for those who have played by the rules to illegal immigrants,” said Smith.
Immigrant advocates and analysts question the extent to which fraud will be a problem.

Successful applicants win a deferral from deportation for two years, but after that they must periodically reapply to reauthorize their deferrals, Doris Meissner, MPI senior fellow and former commissioner of the US Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS), told the Monitor last month. While rooting out fraud is always important, Ms. Meissner said, lying to the government during the application process is cause for deportation, and fraud uncovered even after someone is sheltered under DACA means illegal immigrants applying fraudulently “will have put themselves into serious jeopardy.”

To qualify for the DACA program, applicants must be under age 31, have lived in the US for five or more years consecutively, served in the military or be pursuing an education or have graduated from high school, have come to America before age 16, and have no significant criminal record. Applicants must pay a $465 fee and submit to a biometric scan and background investigation.
If successful, applicants gain a two-year deferral from deportation proceedings and the opportunity to apply for a work permit, but no path to US citizenship. If unsuccessful, there is no appeals process.

The program is a sort of miniature version of the DREAM Act, legislation that would put young people in a similar situation to those eligible for DACA on a path to US citizenship. With the DREAM Act (and broader immigration reform) stalled in Congress, President Obama announced the DACA policy on June 15 as a sort of stop-gap measure to help stop deportation of young illegal immigrants brought to the US while minors.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/dream-act-lite...210638251.html

Have you read the comments to thus article? They're despicable. I can't believe people say thing as if all these illegals
Are allowed to go to college how will my kids get in? Are you f**ken kidding me? Shit like that enrages me. I went to school under grad and grad, worked fir a fortune 500 company and paid more in taxes turn there people make in a year. How dare they criticize us for their short comings? If you feel DACA is the reason why your kids don't stand a chance you should stop inbreeding. Omfg at 3am I'm livid. So disappointing to hear such thing from these cowards.

that's why you don't read the comments. if your child isn't smart enough to gain admission over me (who has had way more obstacles along the way), then your child doesn't deserve to be admitted and you can fuck right off.

I make a point out of reading every single one of them. I've been doing it for years really and even make a point of listening to right wing AM radio shows going back to the 90's when "illegals" were still used as the source of every problem.

Why? Two reasons.

First, the old "keep your friends close and your enemies closer". I want to know what the other side is thinking: What their motivations are (it's racial), what subjects are the exploiting and how well is it working, what things hit a nerve with them etc. That way, I can make sure and not give them any ammo.

That is why I caution people on here for not mentioning anything about welfare, freebies, or flying your country's flags during rallies. Those right wingers use these things against us and will make a big stink about it by writing their congressman and the like. We don't have that right so they win.

Second, I just want to soak it all in. Maybe I'm a masochist. I want to see the hate flow through them. Things won't stay like this for ever so WHEN the time comes that I'm fully part of this country, I won't ever want to forget what the other side said about us so I will know who to vote for, who to not associate with, and more importantly, who stood by us in our time of need.

I hate reading comments on articles. I try not to read them. While they may have an opinion of us, we can disprove it. Dreamers should work, study, and behave like normal ordinary people. Then, they have no basis.

However, one thing that irks me is when they say I can attend college for free. Illegals cannot get any aid whatsoever (besides CA Dream Act). I'll gladly show you my tuition bill + book receipts every semester.

Others comments do not matter. What matters is your life.

Word!!!

There will always be people that don't understand our situation.

I do see how misinformed they can be and the fear they have by thinking we will take away their children's place in colleges and universities.

And as we know already, going to college doesn't guarantee you will get the job you want.

It is all about being qualified for the job and doing the best you can in school.

Instead of these people posting all these hateful comments, they should be making sure their kids do the best they can in school so they can have a good life in the future.

After all, that is what all parents should encourage their children to do.

True.

Yeah, I stopped reading them after I realized that at this rate, I'm going to get high blood pressure.

Don't you just love it when they say "Well, why don't they just become legal immigrants? I have a neighbor who's a legal immigrant."? Almost as infuriating as "Well, why didn't they get out of the country once they turned 18?"