Disregard for ‘Dreamers’

At this point it should not come as a surprise that the House of Representatives challenges the views of the majority of the American people, as it is preventing minors that were brought to the U.S. by their undocumented parents from having any possibility of being integrated into society in a productive manner. It seems like the Republican majority in the House still sees them as criminals instead of honest people who were raised in the U.S., and who really wish to be part of this country.

A vote on the Defense Authorization laws blocking beneficiaries of deferred deportation (DACA) from enlisting in the military revealed that there is a growing minority of 20 Republican legislators who have a positive view of the Dreamers. But the fact that an amendment has been approved excluding them from this possibility shows that the Republican leadership remains firmly controlled by its most extreme wing on immigration.

The proposal of Democratic congressman Ruben Gallego, a war veteran who knows what he is talking about, was approved by the GOP-dominated Defense Committee, then survived the attacks of congressman Steve King in a Judiciary Committee hearing. King, as if he owned everything regarding immigrants, tried to stop Gallego’s bill from reaching the House floor, arguing that it is wrong to include the Dreamers in any issue not specifically related to immigration.

Finally, an amendment from GOP congressman Mo Brooks allowed the vast majority of Republicans to join King in their contempt – manifested verbally multiple times – towards the undocumented. Now the excuse is not playing along with the President’s executive actions, when their real goal is the social exclusion of youth that feel as American as if they had born here.

How long this cruelty and ignorance towards immigrants – including those who are not responsible for being undocumented – will go on?

This will go on until there is a change of leadership in Congress. Polls show a tolerant position towards Dreamers. It is a shame that those views are not enough to break the ideological barrier that is not allowing them from seeing beyond their resentment.