Arkansas Republicans Help Give Professional Licenses To Illegal Aliens
Arkansas Republicans, including Gov. Asa Hutchinson , have helped secure professional licenses for illegal aliens enrolled in former President Obamas Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program thanks to the passage of new state law.
The law, which took effect July 1, will now allow the states nearly 5,000 DACA illegal aliens, along with illegal aliens who hold federal government-issued work permits, to obtain professional licenses to hold jobs in education and healthcare, among other industries.
Hutchinson said all of Arkansas benefits when DACA illegal aliens can obtain professional licenses to take jobs in the state. Only State Sen. Trent Garner and;State Reps. Joshua Bryant , Bruce Cozart , and Gayla;McKenzie voted against the legislation.
The passing of this law was a special moment in Arkansas history, Hutchinson said.
Arkansas Nonprofit News Network reports:
Arkansas Republicans passage of professional licenses for DACA illegal aliens comes after the sanctuary state of Colorado passed similar legislation this year with lobbying from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerbergs FWD.us group.
Likewise, New Jersey;passed;similar legislation last year, and illegal aliens in the state are now applying for and receiving professional licenses.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter;here.;
Forced Daca Vote May Happen In June
When members of Congress departed for the Memorial Day break, a small group of pro-immigration Republican members felt confident they could get the necessary 218 votes on a discharge petition that would force a vote on a DACA bill. At last count, if all Democrats sign-on, the count stood at 215 just before the break. They feel they have the 218.
There are two key dates for a discharge: June 11 and June 25. Once a bill reaches the 218, it has to wait for seven legislative days and then can only be voted on the second and fourth Mondays of the month when the House is in session. That means under the current schedule the only opportunity will be Monday June 25th and Monday July 23rd. There would have to be the 218 signatures by at least June 11th or July 9th.
One of CWLAâs key talking points from the recent Hill Day visits is to get Congress to act on DREAMERS legislation. The Dreamers Act or Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act of 2017 would grant DACA beneficiaries permanent resident status on a conditional basis.
Put Every Senator On The Record: Do You Support Daca Or Not
Damian Dovarganes / AP
In this Sept. 1, 2017 file photo, Loyola Marymount University student and a DACA recipient Maria Carolina Gomez joins a rally in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA program, outside the Edward Roybal Federal Building in Los;Angeles.
Tuesday, July 27, 2021 | 2 a.m.
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Congressional Republicans have come up with all sorts of ways to dodge responsibility to protect Americas Dreamers, while hypocritically claiming they support the protections offered under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Some of these GOP extremists blame their Democratic counterparts for packaging DACA with immigration measures they say are too lenient. Some say they cant approve DACA without it being coupled with more stringent legislation to secure the border. Some contend its irresponsible to consider a pathway to citizenship for any immigrants during the current surge in border crossings.
But with all eyes on Congress following the recent legal ruling against DACA, and with the House having already approved protections, its time for Senate Democrats to hold the Republicans feet to the fire on the issue by doing an up-or-down vote on DACA alone.
Americans have had enough of this ping-ponging on DACA. As shown unfailingly in polling, Americans across the political spectrum fervently support a pathway to citizenship for the Dreamers.
And why wouldnt they?
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What Has Changed In The Two Years Since The Senate Voted Down Daca Legislation
Two years ago this week, the Senate voted on four different immigration billsthree that proposed permanent fixes for Dreamers and one on sanctuary cities. Each failed to reach the 60-vote threshold for passage. Later this year, the Supreme Court is expected to rule with the Trump administration in favor of terminating the DACA program, ultimately triggering a chaotic election-year fight over Dreamers, immigration reform, and border security.;
Much has changed in the 735 days since the Senate last took up this contentious issue, but advancing a DACA deal still remains unlikely. Here are five developments to the politics and policy around DACA since the last showdown in the upper chamber.;
Can Daca Recipients Vote
People granted DACA status do not have the same rights as U.S. citizens when it comes to taking part in elections. They are considered permanent residents living in the U.S. with a green card; hence they are non-U.S. citizens. They also have the ability to obtain scholarships to pay for an education in the U.S.
Barring only a few states, DACA recipients and immigrants holding other statuses are not allowed to cast their votes in federal elections. Some states and municipalities that allow DACA recipients to vote include Chicago and San Francisco, among others. If theyre undocumented immigrants, then voting is entirely prohibited.
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Hold Your Own Hearings
You can share personal stories that reflect the importance of DACA and how it has helped you. People will be more receptive to such messages than blunt political ads. In fact, many teenagers and adults who benefited from DACA are sharing their own stories of how it changed their lives. And these stories are circulating on the Internet, inspiring millions.
How Can Dreamers Get Their Voices Heard At The Polls
Even though they cannot cast their vote in the elections, all is not lost for DACA recipients. Nearly 700,000 people are living in the U.S. with DACA status. So changing or abandoning a policy on which so many people rely is not an easy undertaking.
Some of the DACA recipients are taking things into their own hands and trying their best to keep DACA intact. While this may not be directly effective, it is certainly a way for them to try to make an impact this election season.
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What Are The Big Concerns Facing Dreamers This Election
Elections are always important to a country, and most importantly, to its people. These people are both citizens and non-citizens, each with their own hopes and concerns for the election. DACA recipients look forward to the upcoming 2020 election with anticipation.
The DACA policy first came into effect in 2012, and within the last eight years, it has undergone a roller coaster ride of policy shifts. 2020 is going to be no different, and there are some big concerns looming for DACA status holders. Among all the major concerns, the most important ones for these non-citizens are:
How Can They Force A Vote
Moderate Republicans are using a rarely-used and rarely-successful procedural maneuver called a discharge petition. Stick with me: A discharge petition forces a vote by the whole House of Representatives on specific bill or bills. In this specific instance, this petition would force a vote as early as June on four different immigration plans. This would bypass going through committee and whole array of other roadblocks Republicans leaders could typically use to stop legislation they dont like.
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Republicans Split Up: Tillis And Cornyn Pushing For Amnesty For Daca Recipients Betraying Americans Again
Republican donors and Republican voters are about ready to get a divorce over some critical issues, like Amnesty, which is hugely unpopular with the Voters and highly favorable with the donors.
Some Republicans can not stop themselves from lying to their voters and pushing for far-left policies like Amnesty for DACA recipients.;
Most Republicans support DACA. As do these Republican Members of Congress and former members: Paul Ryan, Lindsey Graham, Chuck Grassley, John Coryn, Thom Tillis, Adam Kinzinger, Leonard Lance, Carlos Curbelo, Jeff Flake, Mike Coffman, Ileana Ros-Lehinen, Will Hurd, Jeff Dedham
Whatever
According to many of his constituents, Thom Tillis from North Carolina is one of the most deceitful people on the Hill on immigration issues. So is John Cornyn. Together they have devised another Amnesty scheme that represents donors and not voters.;
According to the Center for Immigration Studies, Cornyn and Tillis are pushing for things that will make them some money but which their constituents will not be happy about:
In making their case, the Republican senators stated that there is no clear and politically viable path forward for the American Dream and Promise Act, which would amnesty at least 4.4 million illegal aliens, and that a narrower bill is more viable.;
According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services;data, there are approximately 616,030 illegal aliens who are active DACA recipients.
House Votes To Give Millions Of Dreamers And Farmworkers A Path To Citizenship
Democrats vowed the votes would be the first step toward enacting President Bidens immigration agenda. But Republicans galvanized by border politics promised to stop even the most popular measures.
The Democratic-led House voted on Thursday to create a path to citizenship for an estimated four million undocumented immigrants, reopening a politically charged debate over the nations broken immigration system just as President Biden confronts a growing surge of migrants at the border.
In a near party-line vote of 228 to 197, the House first moved to set up a permanent legal pathway for more than 2.5 million undocumented immigrants, including those brought to the United States as children, known as Dreamers, and others granted Temporary Protected Status for humanitarian reasons. Just nine Republicans voted yes.
Hours later, lawmakers approved a second measure with more bipartisan backing that would eventually grant legal status to close to a million farmworkers and their families while updating a key agricultural visa program. This time, 30 Republicans, many representing agriculture-heavy districts, joined nearly every Democrat to vote in favor.
In moving swiftly to consider both bills, House leaders wagered that singling out relatively narrow but publicly popular immigration fixes could shake up a deadlocked policy debate after years of failed attempts at more comprehensive immigration legislation and deliver for a key constituency.
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Senator Charles Grassley On Daca
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Senator Charles Grassley has been a supporter of DACA for awhile, and this support largely comes from his belief in the e-Verify system. Mr. Grassley has said that all employers should be required to use the E-verify system in order to check on a potential employees working eligibility, for a system like this would make deportation of criminals easier and it would as well speed up deportation of asylum seekers who are unable to support their claims.
Republicans And Democrats Remain Divided On Fate Of Daca
- EmbedEmbed
As the White House may be inching closer to a deal that will decide the fate of 800,000 DACA recipients, Congresswoman Linda Sanchez shares her viewpoint on the current negotiations.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
We’re going to start the program today talking about new tensions around the program known as DACA, short for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. That’s an Obama era rule that allows undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children to apply for protection from deportation. The Trump administration has said it wants to cancel the program in six months.
But President Trump met with Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi last week. And they reportedly agreed to work together to protect DACA recipients somehow. Until they come up with an actual plan, though, some 800,000 young people remain in limbo. And we will hear from one of those young people in just a few minutes.
But first, to the tensions. Neither President Trump supporters nor many of the Democratic lawmakers are pleased that the two are moving ahead on a deal without consulting with their respective bases. Joining us on the line to talk about this is Congresswoman Linda Sanchez, Democrat of California. She’s the former chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. And she’s now vice chairwoman of the House Democratic Caucus. Congresswoman, thank you so much for speaking with us.
LINDA SANCHEZ: Yeah. It’s great to be with you.
SANCHEZ: Yeah, my pleasure.
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Four Immigration Bills Were Put On The Senate Floor And Four Bills Failed
The Senate voted on four immigration bills on Thursday afternoon; they needed 60 votes to advance. Each of the bills, from the most conservative to the most liberal, failed.
First up was a plan by Sens. Chris Coons and John McCain . The Coons-McCain bill would have:
- Provided a path to citizenship for 1.8 million undocumented immigrants who came to the country as children
- Offered no money for Trumps border wall, though it did include some border security measures
It failed 52 to 47, with Democrats almost united in favor and Republicans mostly voting against it.
What it means:The failure of the Coons-McCain plan underlined that with the Republicans controlling every lever of power in Washington, a bill without any funding for Trumps infamous border wall is a nonstarter.
The second vote, on an amendment from Sen. Pat Toomey , did not actually address DACA or border security. The Toomey amendment would have penalized so-called sanctuary cities that refuse to enforce federal immigration policy, by withholding federal funding from those municipalities. The issue has been a fixation for Trump and some of the conservative hardliners in Congress.
It failed 54 to 45. Republicans and a few Democrats supported it, but most Democrats were opposed.
- Provided a path to citizenship for 1.8 million undocumented immigrants who came to the country as children
- Offered $25 billion for border security
- Prevented DACA recipients from sponsoring their parents for legal status
Its Time: As Congress Debates Citizenship Legislation Yet Again A Daca Recipient Grows Frustrated
Patients sometimes look up at Javier Quiroz, an acute-care nurse in one of Houstons busiest hospitals, and ask if he is in the United States legally.
No, he says.
Then he tells them about the journey that has never ended. He crossed the U.S.-Mexico border at age 3 and, nearly three decades later, is among 11;million undocumented immigrants rooted inside the United States without a permanent legal claim to this country.
Quiroz is a foreigner with a Tennessee accent, a registered nurse who paid his way through college and then fought to save lives in a pandemic that nearly took his father and infected him, his wife and their baby girl.
He has watched Congress debate his future for decades, but a bill that would offer him U.S. citizenship has never reached the presidents desk.
With Congress set to return to Washington on Monday, Democratic congressional leaders say legislation establishing such pathways ranks as one of their top priorities. But progress has been stymied, both by uncertain Democratic support and Republican recalcitrance amid an influx of migrants crossing the southwest border, following the same path Quiroz once took.
Failure is not an option, Schumer wrote to colleagues, saying they would address immigration and a host of other measures when the recess ends Monday.
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The Daca Population Numbers
President Donald Trump said he has heard varying numbers on the DACA population from 650,000 to 3 million. In fact, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said there were 689,800 active DACA recipients as of Sept. 4, 2017.
DACA, which stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, was instituted in 2012 under the Obama administration and enabled certain individuals who had come to the United States illegally as children to avoid deportation proceedings and obtain work authorization for two years, subject to renewal. The Trump administration announced an end to the DACA program on Sept. 5, 2017, saying no new applications would be accepted and a wind-down would occur for current enrollees.
Congress is negotiating a deal on what to do about DACA before a March 5 deadline set by the president. A bipartisan group of lawmakers met with the president to discuss immigration on Jan. 9, and the following day, Trump said in a cabinet meeting that they had agreed to pursue four major areas yesterday of reform: securing our border, including, of course, the wall which has always been included, it never changed; ending chain migration; canceling the visa lottery; and addressing the status of the DACA population. He then rattled off a few different numbers on the DACA recipients.
Now, lets look at the figures the president mentioned on the DACA population.
Legal Immigration Is Now The Real Hurdle To A Senate Deal On Daca
Even with the failed votes, there was little disagreement among the various plans on two major issues: the DACA recipients themselves and border security funding.
Every major plan from the Grassley/Trump proposal to McCain-Coons would have provided a path to citizenship for young people in the United States who are eligible for DACA. An estimated 1.3 to 1.8 million people who had been brought to the country illegally as children would have received protections under that provision.
On border security, the disagreement was lesser Democrats werent eager to give Trump his wall, but they did appear willing to fund it to save DACA. The White House wanted $25 billion, and the Grassley bill gave it to them. So did the latest bipartisan Common Sense compromise.
The real disagreement, then, came down to legal immigration. The White House wanted substantial legal immigration cuts through changes to family-based migration and the diversity visa program. Those provisions were incorporated into the Grassley plan, but it had trouble mustering even universal Republican support.
Now, senators will return to their home states, having done nothing yet again to solve the DACA crisis.
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