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Could Rubio plan lead to citizenship?
Politico
Manu Raju
4/20/2012
"Marco Rubio's version of the DREAM Act has spawned a lot of chatter in Spanish-language media, which is playing up the possibility that some children of illegal immigrants could eventually become citizens under his emerging proposal.
But when asked at a briefing Thursday with English-language reporters if his plan would create a pathway to citizenship, Rubio insisted it wouldn't.
"I think the key difference is it doesn't create a special pathway for citizenship and thereby leads to illegal chain migration," he said of the distinctions between his plan and the Democratic DREAM Act. "What it does it only puts them in the same position as any other holder of a non-immigrant visa, which is the opportunity to avail themselves of the existing legal immigration system whatever that system is at that time when they access it."
Democratic leadership aides said Friday that Rubio seemed to be playing up the citizenship piece with Spanish-language press and downplaying it with English-language media.
But Rubio's office on Friday strongly denied that was the case.
Alex Conant, a Rubio spokesman, said Friday that "there is nothing in his proposal that would prevent these kids from eventually becoming citizens. But unlike the current DREAM Act, it does not create special pathway to citizenship. If these kids want to become citizens, they would have to go through the same process as anyone else and wait in line."
Under current law, children of illegal immigrants would have to go back to their country of origin before being awarded the appropriate visas through the U.S. immigration system. Rubio's plan would allow certain children brought to the country illegally who have since completed high school or military service and don't have a criminal record to stay in the United States while accessing the existing immigration system, eventually giving them a chance to become naturalized citizens.
Anti-immigration activists call this a two-step process to "amnesty." But Rubio says his proposal won't affect future entrants to the country, just the children who are here now, made the United States their home and now show promise.
"But here's why we do that -- that's not based on a legal right," Rubio said Thursday. "I don't think anyone would argue that these kids have a legal right to be in this country. I think their appeal is really more to our conscience and our humanitarianism than it is to our laws."
View the complete article at:
http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-con...ea-121179.html
Politico
Manu Raju
4/20/2012
"Marco Rubio's version of the DREAM Act has spawned a lot of chatter in Spanish-language media, which is playing up the possibility that some children of illegal immigrants could eventually become citizens under his emerging proposal.
But when asked at a briefing Thursday with English-language reporters if his plan would create a pathway to citizenship, Rubio insisted it wouldn't.
"I think the key difference is it doesn't create a special pathway for citizenship and thereby leads to illegal chain migration," he said of the distinctions between his plan and the Democratic DREAM Act. "What it does it only puts them in the same position as any other holder of a non-immigrant visa, which is the opportunity to avail themselves of the existing legal immigration system whatever that system is at that time when they access it."
Democratic leadership aides said Friday that Rubio seemed to be playing up the citizenship piece with Spanish-language press and downplaying it with English-language media.
But Rubio's office on Friday strongly denied that was the case.
Alex Conant, a Rubio spokesman, said Friday that "there is nothing in his proposal that would prevent these kids from eventually becoming citizens. But unlike the current DREAM Act, it does not create special pathway to citizenship. If these kids want to become citizens, they would have to go through the same process as anyone else and wait in line."
Under current law, children of illegal immigrants would have to go back to their country of origin before being awarded the appropriate visas through the U.S. immigration system. Rubio's plan would allow certain children brought to the country illegally who have since completed high school or military service and don't have a criminal record to stay in the United States while accessing the existing immigration system, eventually giving them a chance to become naturalized citizens.
Anti-immigration activists call this a two-step process to "amnesty." But Rubio says his proposal won't affect future entrants to the country, just the children who are here now, made the United States their home and now show promise.
"But here's why we do that -- that's not based on a legal right," Rubio said Thursday. "I don't think anyone would argue that these kids have a legal right to be in this country. I think their appeal is really more to our conscience and our humanitarianism than it is to our laws."
View the complete article at:
http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-con...ea-121179.html
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