DACA Dilemma

President Trump has chosen not to extend DACA unless the House and Senate end the so called “refugee lottery” (Diversity Immigrant Visa Program) and “chain immigration.”  The Democrats are threatening to block government funding and budget legislation unless DACA is included in the planned spending … effectively “shutting down” those operations of the federal government not governed by mandated spending.  Certain “moderate” (establishment) Republicans have gotten together with the Democrats to carve out changes to immigration policy that they are calling “bipartisan” even though many Republicans disagree with it; and President Trump will probably veto it.  In short, it is politics as usual in Washington, D.C.

What Is DACA?

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a kind of administrative relief from deportation. The purpose of DACA is to protect eligible immigrant youth who came to the United States when they were children from deportation. DACA gives young undocumented immigrants: 1) protection from deportation, and 2) a work permit. The program expires after two years, subject to renewal.

What Are The Requirements For DACA?

• You were under 31 years old as of June 15, 2012;
• You first came to the United States before your 16th birthday;
• You have lived continuously in the United States from June 15, 2007 until the present;
• You were physically present in the United States on June 15, 2012 and at the time you apply;
• You came to the United States without documents before June 15, 2012, or your lawful status expired as of June 15, 2012;
• You are currently studying, or you graduated from high school or earned a certificate of completion of high school or GED, or have been honorably discharged from the Coast Guard or military (technical and trade school completion also qualifies); and
• You have NOT been convicted of a felony, certain significant misdemeanors (including a single DUI), or three or more misdemeanors of any kind. Consult with an attorney about ANY contact you have had with law enforcement or immigration authorities.

https://undocu.berkeley.edu/legal-support-overview/what-is-daca/

There are policy questions that involve border security, the rule of law, protecting American workers, the effect of cheap labor on the wage scale, preserving the dominant language and culture, controlling gang activity and drug smuggling, and more.  The moral question facing the American people is, “How can we deal with the problem of illegal migration into the United States and still maintain a just and humane society?"  I call it the DACA Dilemma.

The “Dreamers” are the foreign-born children of parents who entered the United States illegally and stayed.  Some have spent most of their lives here.  For them, returning to their country of origin might possibly be like moving to a foreign country.  Or, so we are told.  We are also told that deporting their parents while leaving the Dreamers here, or vice versa, would break up families.  Naturally, the dream would come true if everybody could stay in America with a path to citizenship.

I think that I should, at this point, say that we wouldn’t have this problem if our government had done its job.  The DACA problem is just one of many that have been the “unintended consequences” of the government’s abject failure to stop illegal migration into our country.

Some blame the Democrats.  They say that our Progressive friends favor lax enforcement of immigration laws because immigrants are more likely to vote Democratic.  Others say the Republicans are to blame because they want cheap labor.  I think that there is plenty of blame for both sides.  I think it is time that we do like Henry Ford said:

Don't find fault, find a remedy.

https://www.brainyquote.com/search_results?q=Henry+Ford

Hopefully, each American will determine for themselves where they stand.  Whatever the outcome, we must not let the fate of the Dreamers create another back door by which people can “do an end run” around our immigration laws in the future. We do not want a situation like the 14th Amendment babies delivered on American soil by foreign mothers so that the babies will be U.S. citizens.

As for myself, the DACA Dilemma is a difficult moral problem.  In my old self, I want to say that the Dreamers should be deported along with their parents … end of story. However, I can’t get around the call of the Holy Spirit to follow in Jesus’ steps.  Jesus taught us to:

·         Love others as we love ourselves.

·         Treat others the way we want others to treat us.

·         Turn the other cheek.

·         Forgive others, as we want God to forgive us.

·         Be merciful, and we will obtain mercy.

Peter taught that we should be obedient to civil rulers.  However, he also told the Sanhedrin that if he had to choose, he would obey God rather than men.

In the Old Testament, the gist of things is to treat aliens and strangers well.  However, aliens were forbidden to participate in the Passover or break the law.

Therefore, I say that we should allow the Dreamers to stay in the country as “provisional” resident aliens.  Believe me, I have had to struggle with myself over it.  However, I put it in God’s hands and asked Him to give me His strength.

I do not think that the Tea Party Republicans in the House and Senate, or President Trump, should agree to allow the Dreamers to stay as a stand-alone policy.  The Democrats and swamp dwelling Republicans will not honor their pledges to deal with other immigration issues later.  DACA should not be continued unless the Dreamers:

·         Get to the end of the line of those waiting to become citizens.

·         Are verified not to be terrorists or criminals by comprehensive background checks.

·         Refrain from any illegal activity on pain of the loss of their provisional status and   immediate deportation.

·         Have no history of gang activity.

·         Can pass an English proficiency examination.

·         Are in school or holding verifiable and steady employment.

·         Will pledge to be loyal to the United States, while they reside here.

·         Will agree to refrain from using drugs deemed illegal by the federal government, as   verified by random drug tests.

Further, at a minimum, the Diversity Immigrant Visa lottery, and the policy of allowing the extended family members of immigrants to enter the country as well, must simultaneously cease when DACA is continued.  The President must be allowed to exercise his legal authority to ban anyone from any country from entering the United States for reasons he deems to be in the interest of national security.  And, let President Trump build the wall, if for no other reason than it will help to disrupt the flow of drugs into the country.