Daily Dream: Dreamers of the Times

by Dave Bennion · 2009-04-23 02:39:00 +0530
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The NY Times has several posts about the Dream Act on its Room for Debate page today from, respectively:

Krikorian says it's a shame these kids are in this situation, but . . . Shamnesty! Shamnesty!  Or something to that effect.  His proposed "solution" is to give Dreamers legal status only if Congress terminates the family preference system that currently allows U.S. citizens to petition for their foreign-born parents, siblings, and adult sons and daughters.  This is not going to happen.  Krikorian and the nativist movement badly want to deport Dreamers back to countries they no longer know.  But Dream has such broad support that even he can't oppose it outright-he has to pretend the bill can be modified to his satisfaction.  A commenter to the articles has it about right: "[Krikorian's] intellectual ancestors would not have wanted his biological ones in this country."

Prerna explains how twisted the system is:

"Get in line!" I am told. This is quite ironic since "getting in line" is precisely what made me an "illegal alien."

I was brought here legally on an F-2 student visa from Fiji when I was 14 and was legally here until I graduated from high school and wanted to attend college. At 17, my parents helped me apply for an F-1 student visa so I could continue my studies, but unfortunately, in the aftermath of September 11, my student visa extension was rejected.

Why? My parents had filed for permanent residency (I-130) prior to this through my grandmother, who is U.S. citizen, so the immigration service would not grant me a non-immigrant visa to study in the United States. As a teenager, I knew nothing about immigration laws and was at the mercy of my parents.

After making the rounds to immigration attorneys and school counselors, we were assured that I would get my legal papers before I turned 21 and could attend college in the meantime.

. . .

The worst news came when an attorney told me that because I was older than 21, I could no longer seek permanent residency under the petition filed by my grandmother even though I was refused a student visa because I was a derivative beneficiary of that very petition. There was no room for adjustment of status, even through marriage to my partner, since the United States does not recognize same-sex marriage.

My U.S. citizen clients sometimes ask why the government penalizes them when they try to do things the right way for their family members.  I have to shrug and tell them that their problems are not currently a priority for their government.

More meta goodness from Prerna here and here.

Also, good news from the Ideas for Change page that 12 new co-sponsors have joined the Dream Act in the House.  Thank you, Rep. Fattah!  Now why isn't my Rep on this list?  Bob Brady, you'll be hearing from us shortly ...

Dave Bennion
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