Agree that not acknowledging the 'illegal' part is totally inexplicable. But, I do have some compassion (see, Jones!) for those that came here as minors without choice.
Don't have all the small details worked out, but my wife has a plan that I can get behind:
- Dreamers can stay and even work towards citizenship if they meet some criteria
Arrived as minor
Been here more than 5 years
No criminal convictions -- need to work out exactly where this line will be drawn, but I might even include truancy
Pass a 'rudimentary' English test
Mandatory 2 years public (or military) service
Once mandatory service complete, they can be issued a Green Card
'Future' illegal minors who manage to hide for more than five years might get dreamer opportunity...not sure yet...maybe with increasing length of public service? After 2020, three years? After 2025, five years?....I don't want to encourage future illegals, so, I'd make the risk increasingly great....but, I'm a long ways from deporting every illegal...especially those that came here as minors....even later
The cost of a government managed compulsory service program scares me...somehow it needs to be offset by the dreamer labor/service...I'll figure that part out later
The more I think about it, the more that I can probably get behind compulsory service for our citizen kids, too...6 months, maybe....a year even?...completed between ages of 17 and 24?
dstieger wrote: