My (humble) DACA take:
Denying citizenship to DREAMers isn’t “punishment,” as some suggest, but a sad consequence of their parents choosing to break the law and jump ahead of those who (foolishly, it turns out) obeyed the rules.
Please note that children often pay the price for the sins of their parents–this is not confined to DREAMers.
There are innumerable hard luck cases when it comes to immigration–that’s why people come here. Why should DREAMers take precedence over all others?
Granting DREAMers citizenship now will likely produce even more illegal immigration in the future. Is that what we want?
My (compassionate) suggestion:
Give DREAMers legal status so they can continue to live and work here without fear, as long as they continue to otherwise obey the law. But if they want to receive citizenship, they’ll have to get in line with everyone else.
Note: Whatever is decided in the coming months, remember that DACA itself was an illegitimate presidential action that must be remedied by Congress.
Now let’s all get back to work.
