After months of Republicans knocking around amnesty proposals without producing any language, freshman Rep. David Rivera (R-FL) introduced his own version of the DREAM Act last week.
Rep. Rivera’s “Studying Towards Adjusted Residency Act” (STARS) Act, H.R. 5869 — like all versions of the DREAM Act — grants amnesty to illegal aliens who claim they came to the U.S. as minors. The STARS Act accomplishes this by first granting “conditional” nonimmigrant status to illegal alien minors up to the age of 19 who have:
(1) entered the U.S. before the age of 16;
(2) lived in the U.S. for five years upon enactment;
(3) attained high school diploma or GED; and
(4) been accepted to an accredited four-year institution of higher education.
Proponents of the bill claim it contains strict requirements; however it is filled with the same loopholes that define all DREAM Act amnesties. The bill gives the Secretary of Homeland Security broad authority to waive requirements and allows illegal aliens with up to two misdemeanor convictions to be eligible for amnesty. Ultimately, the effect of Rivera’s bill is the same as all amnesties: it rewards law breaking, incentivizes future illegal immigration, and welcomes chain migration.
Another Florida Republican hit the airwaves promoting his enigmatic DREAM Act over the weekend. In two separate Fox News appearances, freshman Senator Marco Rubio once again danced around the details of his amnesty legislation. We expect Rubio to introduce his GOP DREAM Act sometime this month.