Chicago Sun Times Bureau Chief Lynn Sweet was emphatic this morning (April 2) on CNN that the President was wrong about a new DREAMER "invasion" coming in by caravans over the Mexican border, since Obama's DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) executive order of 2012 requires that the DACA applicant be here since June 15, 2007.  That is correct.

 

But Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) in his "Dream Act of 2017" S1615 -- the DACA negotiating standard of most Senate Democrats today – drastically changes the DACA requirements from President Obama's original ones:

 ORIGINAL DACA ORDER REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICANTS (from CSIS web site):

1. Were under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012;

2. Came to the United States before reaching your 16th birthday;

3. Have continuously resided in the United States since June 15, 2007, up to the present time;

4. Were physically present in the United States on June 15, 2012, and at the time of making your request for consideration of deferred action with USCIS   Had no lawful status on June 15, 2012;

 

DREAM ACT OF 2017  S1615  sponsored by Sen. Dick Durbin et.al

A) the alien has been continuously physically present in the United States since the date that is 4 years before the date of the enactment of this Act (note: originally senators thought it would be by June 2018)

B) the alien was younger than 18 years of age on the date on which the alien initially entered the United States;     

NOTE:  NO upper age limit;

 

As you can see, Durbin wants the basic requirements changed from

* "coming in under the age of 16 before June 15 2007", to "enter under the age of 18";

* "being here continuously for five years",  to four years

* being here illegally by June 15, 2012" to ..  "by date of enactment"--  in 2018 or beyond

* upper age for applicants, 31   to  no upper age

This constant lowering of the bar by Democrats is why the estimated number of potential illegal immigrants who would be legalized under a new DACA DREAM Act go from 1 million to 4 million plus.

I have been covering immigration reform as a credentialed Congressional Correspondent for 10 years.  I believe that now the Trumpians have tired of negotiating about DACA.  Every time Republicans agree to increase the definition of 'Dreamers" to be legalized, the Democrats demand more. Cong. Luis Gutierrez even demands that those deported previously as well as the parents of DREAMERs and the older siblings who came in later, should also be included in the DREAM Act (under the guise of "not breaking up extended families").  But even President Obama said no to that.  Even Obama said a precedent can't be established that anyone who comes in with children (minors under the age of 18) gets to stay -- a perception perhaps driving Trump's perceived on-coming caravans?  Obama's DAPA order of 2014 specifically did not include the parents of DREAMERS.

But the press often gets the definition of DACA DREAMERS wrong as well as the facts above.  The press hardly ever refer to DACA DREAMERS as adults, even though they're not children. Almost all are over 18 since they are required to have a high school diploma – or some equivalent (no English required btw).

 

And the press constantly errs in saying that DACA DREAMER were "brought in illegally by their parents at an early age!"  Not one word in any of the regulations states that DACA DREAMERS had to have been "brought in the United States illegally at a young age by their parents". They only had to have "come in" or "entered" the country before the age of 16 – legally or illegally; with parents or alone or trafficked in by a gang; over a legal port of entry or swimming a river or assaulting a wall.  It's all OK for DACA reqs.

 

Lynn Sweet is right that Trump should get his facts right – but so should the press covering DACA. I would think somebody in the news team might read the DACA executive order (3 pages) and DREAM Act of 2017 (under 10) to at least get the basic definition of DACA DREAMERS right:  "Came in before age 16/18".

 

Obviously and naturally the Democrats are hyping who DACA DREAMERS are in order to get more  sympathy and more illegal immigrants legalized closer to their goals of "comprehensive immigration reform".  But unfortunately the press seems not question the advocates' hype and rather, seem to be willing partners in it.

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