He has problems with the Dream Act, but believes that offspring of illegal immigrants are innocent in the current immigration war, so Sen. Marco Rubio is mulling legislation that would help those kids win citizenry but would not lead to a mass amnesty program.
Rubio has been meeting with immigration and conservative leaders to draw up an alternative for the broad Dream Act, which Democrats are expected to offer up in an election year ploy to win Hispanics. “Rubio has decided to tackle one of the thorniest issues in America today: what to do about people brought into this country illegally as youngsters,” said Mike Franc of the Heritage Foundation. “Call them the innocents in the illegal immigration wars.”
Added Franc: “The challenges are many. One lies in defining exactly who fits into this category of innocents without creating overly expansive loopholes that would result in broad-based amnesty. Another lies in determining the criteria these individuals must satisfy in order to remain here legally – military service, educational attainment, work history, fluency in English, lack of any criminal record, etc. Doing all this, in turn, will allow Republicans to define the character traits and life achievements they associate with those they wish to see become U.S. citizens.”
It’s unclear what Rubio will do, but all eyes will be on him not only because he’s Washington’s most prominent Republican Hispanic but because he tops Mitt Romney’s list of running mates.
