The 9 Lives of 'Shamnesty'

By Rick Moran

You have to hand it to the Open Borders Lobby in Washington. They are, if nothing else, persistent. Thwarted earlier in the year by a powerful coalition of on-line activists and radio talk show hosts, the "Shamnesty" bill is once again rearing its ugly head in the Senate.

An amendment sponsored by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) would give many illegal aliens the opportunity to go to college while paying in-state tuition rates:

The bill would essentially guarantee illegals a college education at much lower in-state rates.

Titled the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, it was included in the immigration "compromise" that died in the Senate in June. It benefits illegals who entered this country before age 16. The bill should be shouted down.

"The illegal alien who applies for this amnesty is immediately rewarded with 'conditional' lawful permanent resident (green card) status, which can be converted to a non-conditional green card in short order," Kris Kobach, a law professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, noted in a Heritage Foundation paper. "The alien can then use his newly acquired status to seek green cards for his parents who brought him in illegally in the first place. In this way, it is a backdoor amnesty for the millions of illegal aliens who brought their children to the United States."

This is amnesty by stealth. To date, only 18 Senators have gone on record opposing this measure which is almost incomprehensible given the political damage done to many Republicans as a result of the immigration debate last spring.

Perhaps the GOP needs a little goading to remind them how unalterably opposed the Republican base is to allowing lawbreakers to benefit at taxpayer's expense. And, of course, there is the incentive for others not yet in this country to sneak across the border in order to take advantage of programs like this.

The Washington Times is absolutely right. This proposal should be "shouted down" - loudly and vigorously.