DREAMERS/HOUSE OF REPS/IMMIGRATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Attention will immediately shift to Congress if President Donald Trump ends the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which provides protections and work permits for young people brought to the U.S. illegally as children. The prime question is whether Republicans will be willing to give them similar protections via legislation.
The bipartisan Dream Act has been pending in Congress for many years, but has always had more Democratic than Republican support. Now, some Republicans are hoping to win over their colleagues with a version of the bill that is a bit more stringent. Earlier this year, Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R., Fla.) and other Republicans introduced such legislation in the House, which they call the Recognizing America’s Children, or RAC, Act. Sen. Thom Tillis (R., N.C.) is preparing a similar version for the Senate.
These GOP versions would make it harder to qualify for the program. For instance, someone would have had to have arrived in the U.S. by 2012, earlier than the requirement in other versions, and have been 16 years old or younger at the time. Like the bipartisan Dream Act, participants would have to pursue higher education, work, or serve in the military, but the details differ. Like the Dream Act, participants could eventually qualify for a green card, also known as legal permanent residence, which can lead to citizenship. A more liberal version of the Dream Act is also pending in the House.
Politically, the hope is that by branding the legislation conservative, it will draw Republicans wary of being accused of supporting amnesty for lawbreakers.”
-Laura Meckler, “If Trump Ends DACA, Issue Falls to Congress,” The Wall Street Journal online, Sept. 1, 2017 08:06am