{"id":16208,"date":"2018-01-16T13:46:30","date_gmt":"2018-01-16T18:46:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/live-immigrationreform.pantheonsite.io\/?p=16208"},"modified":"2018-12-28T11:12:29","modified_gmt":"2018-12-28T16:12:29","slug":"dream-act-straining-budgets-punishing-american-workers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.immigrationreform.com\/2018\/01\/16\/dream-act-straining-budgets-punishing-american-workers\/","title":{"rendered":"DREAM Act: Straining Budgets, Punishing American Workers"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Congressional Budget Office<\/a> says the DREAM Act will cost Americans $26.8 billion over the next decade. That\u2019s a net expense, and it\u2019s just the beginning.<\/p>\n

The DREAM Act<\/a>, which would grant lawful permanent residence to some 3.25 million illegal aliens, is being played as a bargaining chip in negotiations over immigration reforms. It\u2019s no bargain.<\/p>\n

The CBO estimates 2 million aliens eligible for conditional resident status would become naturalized citizens. That projection \u2013 a low-ball figure in light of prior amnesties and DREAM Act provisions \u2013 minimizes the true fiscal impact.<\/p>\n

If history is a reliable guide \u2013 and there\u2019s no reason to think it isn\u2019t — significantly more aliens are likely to apply. This would add billions to the DREAM Act\u2019s initial price tag.<\/p>\n

Witness the amnesty embedded in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. \u00a0Some 2.7 million illegal aliens established legal residence through IRCA,\u00a0significantly more than the government\u2019s top estimates.<\/p>\n

Language in the DREAM Act ensures that more low-skill, low-education aliens will be waved through \u2013 granting them access to legal employment, as well as a full smorgasbord of public benefits (your $26.8 billion at work).<\/p>\n

The most expensive benefit would be Obamacare subsidies ($12 billion), earned income and child tax credits ($5.5 billion), Medicaid ($5 billion) and food stamps ($2 billion). CBO understates the impact here, too, by excluding state and local outlays.<\/p>\n

A “confidentiality” provision in the DREAM Act bars Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from examining amnesty application files, raising the odds for fraud. Further, government adjudicators are required to accept easily doctored documents \u2013 utility bills, rent receipts, even remittance records — as evidence of eligibility.<\/p>\n

If all else fails, applications can be approved for \u201chumanitarian purposes or family unity.” \u201cIt will be exceedingly difficult for the government to deny an applicant and not<\/em> be sued for \u2018abuse of discretion\u2019 when those are the standards for grants of waivers to criminals, smugglers and illegal voters,\u201d notes the Center for Immigration Studies<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The not-so-dreamy DREAM Act gashes a broken immigration system while further straining American workers and taxpayers, says Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas.<\/p>\n

\u201cIsn\u2019t it interesting that the people who keep demanding immediate legalization also demand that there be no wall? They don’t want border security. It’s pretty transparent they don’t care about U.S. workers whose wages have been stagnant, or have been unable to find jobs,\u201d Gohmert said.